Kirei na Kanjou
by antimonial
Summary: Two stories in one. The first is Rikku's journey to discover Brother's unknown past; the other follows the pilgrimage of a forgotten summoner. How do the two stories connect, and when will they intertwine? [restarted as The Sound of Birds]
1. The Evil Cactuar Doll, Cacty ::Present::

_My first fanfic that I"ve actually decided to put up on the internet… Just a note to make it easier to understand. The story format's a little weird; it switches between Rikku, in the present, to Ku, in the past during her pilgrimage. The present is a year after FFX took place, and the past is a year before FFX. The chapter name will usually tell whether it's in the present or the past. _

Another thing. Rikku, Brother, and Cid are all speaking Al Bhed. It's just too complicated to write all their lines in Al Bhed and then translate them. If there are people who speak English, then I will write lines in Al Bhed if that's what certain characters speak, and I'll put the translation afterwards. Also, I'm assuming Brother can understand most English, but can't speak a lot. 

Home, in Ku's time, has already been destroyed once. It's still being rebuilt during her story. In the present, they're rebuilding the 3rd Home. (It gets destroyed a lot…) 

Finally, I'm just gonna assume that Braska's Calm is over. I'm also gonna assume that Summoners have to have a little training beforehand, so that's why Yuna isn't already on her pilgrimage. I've tried to make the story as accurate as possible, but there are probably a few things that are off… Plus, all the FFX main characters make cameos! Anyways… review, ok? 

**Kirei na Kanjou**

"Hehehehe…" 

Rikku snickered evilly as she opened the door to the dark room. The sign posted outside swung accusingly, revealing the message that had been scrawled into it: 

Brother'c Nuus   
**GAAB UID!**

"Keep out, it says. Like I'm gonna listen to that!" 

Now, the Al Bhed girl would have listened to that sign any other day. In fact, she probably would have ignored the sign and gone on with her normal life. However, today was different. It was very different. Her brother, Brother, had stolen something important from her. And she wanted it back. 

She quietly entered the room and closed the door gently behind her. "Now, let's see where he hid my Cactuar doll…" 

Rikku walked over to a pile of paper and shuffled through it. "Nothing…" Next, she moved to a small metal desk, about waist high. Opening it, she found nothing. "Erg… Brother, you stupid meanie! Where'd you put Cacty?" 

Squeak. 

"Huh?" Rikku turned around to face the direction of the noise. "Who's there?" The sound had come from underneath her brother's bed. "Uh… Cacty? Is that you?" She peeked under the bed, praying that a ghost or other unwanted supernatural being would not pop out at her. Instead, she saw Cacty. 

"Cacty!" The little Cactuar doll was being crushed by something that looked like a blue dome. Rikku grabbed the doll and stood up. She squeezed it. 

Squeak squeak, went the doll. 

Rikku smiled widely, a smile that soon turned into a pout. "How mean of Brother to stuff you under his smelly bed with that stupid sphere!" The girl took a minute to think. "Sphere? What's he doing with a sphere?" 

She crouched down again and reached for the sphere. "Well, it's time for me to find out!" Sitting down on the bed and placing Cacty beside her, she pressed a bright green button on the sphere. 

::PLAY::

"Brother!" an off-screen voice called. The sphere bounced a few times from the holder's running. "Brother!" 

A boy in his late teens was now shown on screen. The blond mohawk, numerous tattoos, and green eyes with swirled pupils were instant signs that he was an Al Bhed. He looked curiously at the sphere holder. "Ku? Fryd ec dryd?" (Ku? What is that?) 

Ku, the one holding the sphere, came into the screen's view, one arm still holding the sphere. She was wearing a robe, similar to what a Summoner would wear, except it appeared to have been influenced by the Al Bhed style. "It's a sphere! The guy at the counter said you could record things on it. So I got one to remember our journey!" She turned away from him. To the sphere, she said, "This is me, Ku, and Brother, my first guardian." She moved the sphere to show a large city surrounded by ports. "We're in Luca right now. Brother bought some tickets to go watch the blitzball tournament!" The camera turned back to Brother. "You might not know it at first, but he's really good at blitzball! In Kilika, he-" 

The sphere shook violently as the Al Bhed grabbed it from Ku. "Ku, ruf silr tet drec lucd?" (Ku, how much did this cost?) 

Ku's face went red as she looked down at the ground in guilt. "Well… I figured we wouldn't need that much money…" 

"Ruf silr?" (How much?) Brother repeated. 

"Ha ha… only 5000 gil." 

The sphere started shaking again from the holder's movement. Shouting could be heard in the background as the screen faded to blackness. 

::STOP::

"Hmm…" Rikku said thoughtfully. "I didn't know Brother did anything like this. Wonder why he never told me? I mean, it's gotta be important to him if he's kept this sphere and everything. Right, Cacty?" She turned to the little doll beside her and picked it up. 

Squeak squeak, it said. 

"Yup, I thought so too! But… we can't really ask Brother about it. Then he'll know we've been in his room! Um… who else can we ask?" 

Squeak, Cacty said. 

"Ask Dad? Hmm… I guess it's worth a try. Let's go, Cacty!" Rikku picked up the toy by the stump that was its hand and ran out of her brother's room. 

"Dad!!" Rikku jumped out of the corridor into the frame of her father's door. 

Cid, the leader of the Al Bhed and also Rikku's father, jerked back from the window, startled. "Aah! Oh, Rikku, it's just you. Damn, someday you're gonna give yer poor father a heart attack!" 

"Hee hee," Rikku laughed. "Sorry 'bout that! Cacty and I were just wondering about something…" The blue sphere was hidden behind her back. 

_That damn Cactuar doll… Cid thought. Why'd I let them Al Bhed Psyches give her that thing from Luca? Now she's got it everywhere! Bet it's some evil little…_

"Dad?" Rikku had come closer to Cid and was peering at him oddly. "You ok?" 

Cid was knocked out of his reverie by his daughter's question. He jumped back again from seeing the button eyes of the Cactuar doll looking at him. "Um… Yeah! I'm fine. So, what's this thing you wanted to know?" 

Squeak, went Cacty. 

Cid shivered involuntarily. 

"Well, we found this in Brother's room." She took the blue sphere from behind her back and showed it to Cid. He took it from her and examined it closely. "We watched some of it, and there was this girl there. I think her name was Ku." 

Cid's thoughts were taken from Cacty to the name mentioned by Rikku. "Ku… I thought he'd forgotten 'bout her by now." 

"Wait!" Rikku shouted in surprise. "So you know who she is?" 

"'Course I know who she is. Don't ya remember her?" Rikku shook her head. "She was that girl we found in the desert. The one that summoned Leviathan?" 

Rikku faintly remembered the incident. It had something to do with Sinspawn. "Did it have something to do with Sinspawn?" 

"Yeah, it was when some Sinspawn attacked that she did it. Then she decided to be a Summoner 'cause of it. Said she came from Zanarkand. We all thought she was crazy, but who knows now…" 

"Huh?" Rikku was confused. She had only met Ku once or twice, and had barely talked to her. Plus, Cid had just said that Ku had come from Zanarkand, like the boy she had met a year ago, Tidus. She ignored her father's wistful look and asked, "What happened to her?" 

Cid looked at his daughter briefly, then turned back to the window he had previously been at. "You'll hafta ask your brother 'bout that one. He'll know more than me." 

Rikku hugged Cacty close to her. "But, Dad! Then he'll know I was in his room, and he'll-" 

"You'll hafta deal with that yourself!" He laughed, which at the moment seemed very cruel to Rikku, and pushed her and the doll out the door. 

"Ohh…" Rikku sighed. "Guess we gotta go ask Brother now…" 

---

_Finally, the prologue is done. I'm so pathetic… it takes me so long just to write that. Oh well. _

Cacty reminds me of Plank from Ed, Edd, and Eddy. I hate that show. I don't think I'll ever get a Cactuar doll… 


	2. Sin's Wait ::Past::

__

Yay! Done with the first chapter. This is just to introduce Ku, really. And there's a cameo! TWO cameos! Ha ha ha. 

I can't write introductions. I need to hurry up and get to the next chapter. I really don't like this that much… and it feels like I'm copying from the game a little. It might just be me though. I always over-criticize my work. 

Still, I'm too lazy to really fix this chapter. By the way, there really is a team called the Zanarkand Duggles. It's the one in FFX. I guess Spira-related things just like to happen when the Duggles are around. 

Duggles makes me think of something fuzzy. With big googly eyes. I don't think I've ever used the word googly before in my life. Is it even a word? 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

It was the last day of the blitzball tournament. The Abes from A-East had won all their previous games, and their final match was against the Duggles from C-South. The game was in its third quarter, leaving the score at 5-3, the Abes in the lead. 

Ku watched the game from a distant seat in the far right of the 15th row. The seat was very far from the actual playing field and she could barely see anything, apart from the unlucky crowd members being hit by blitzballs and, from time to time, blitzball players. The whole stadium, both seats and aisles, were filled with people. It always was during blitzball games. 

"Wow! Another perfect shot from the crowd favorite, Tidus!" The announcer's voice did not waver in the least, despite having said about 50 phrases already, all containing the words "Wow", "perfect", and "Tidus". 

Tidus was the aspiring player of the Abes. His father, Jecht, had been the star player of the Zanarkand Abes before, but because of his death 9 years ago, his son had replaced him. In just one year, Tidus had become one of the best the team had ever had. It was obvious he had inherited talent from his predecessor. 

_Ugh… Ku thought. It's so crowded. I can barely breathe._

She got up out of her seat and moved into the aisle of bustling people. A small child instantly took her previously occupied place on the bench. Pushing forcefully through the thick crowd, she managed to make it outside to the unusually vacant streets. 

"So everyone's inside the stadium today," Ku muttered quietly to herself. "No wonder it's so crowded." 

She walked farther down the road and leaned over the edge of the street, her long black hair resting gently on her shoulders. Zanarkand always amazed her. Even though she had lived here all her life, she couldn't help but stare at the vast city. The sky was covered with streets that seemed to levitate above the surface. Streets were everywhere, no matter where you looked in Zanarkand. Down below, a wide plain of concrete was visible. Embedded into the concrete were the large metal beams that held the city up. Around her, Ku could see tall buildings that seemed to reach farther than the sky. They were all crammed tightly together. 

"Funny. Most people I've seen don't look down in Zanarkand." 

Ku was startled by the statement. Turning around, she saw a man with graying hair looking at her over his dark sunglasses. A scar ran over his right eye. One hand was hanging out of the center of his deep-red coat. 

"Who are you?" she asked. 

"No one you need to know," he replied. 

Ku turned back to the city scene she had been previously viewing. "Everyone's in the stadium. You don't like blitzball or something?" 

The man gave a short laugh as a small grin escaped his otherwise expressionless face. "I watch things from a distance. And it's not his time… yet." 

She glanced over her shoulder at the mysterious man. "I guess I can understand that. I don't like crowded places very much… that's why it's so nice to have the streets to myself sometimes." She turned around and leaned against the siding of the street. Slumping to the ground, she questioned, "What do you mean, 'it's not his time'?" 

He laughed once again, the same laugh he had done before, which was starting to annoy Ku a little. It was a discerning laugh, one that implied that one knew more than the other. That the other was missing something so obvious and all one could do was laugh at it. Added into it was the pain of remorse. "Just a promise I've been keeping for a friend." 

"…Oh." The two stayed silent for a few minutes. Ku moved a few miscellaneous pebbles with her fingers while the red-clad man stood silently, staring at the horizon. 

"He is waiting," he said suddenly. Ku looked up at him, puzzled. 

"What? Who's waiting?" It was becoming unnerving being near him. 

The man didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Be careful you don't get taken in by him. You are not the one he is waiting for. It is not yet time." 

Ku put a hand to her forehead and turned around for a moment to think. Just when she was about to ask the man another question, she turned around to find he wasn't there. It was as if he had just disappeared; no one could be seen on the streets anywhere, other than a few scattered couples. 

_That's… weird, Ku thought. Who was that? Hmm? _

Ku saw a metallic glint from one of the nearby alleyways. She looked over and saw nothing else. Trying to ignore it, the light came again, only showing itself for half a second before leaving. She walked cautiously over, sure someone was going to jump out at her. Peeking around the corner, she saw nothing. Silently, she walked into the alley, inspecting the objects inside. A dirty trashcan, a few broken cement blocks, and some fish bones were the only things present. She was about to leave when she saw the same flash behind her. She spun around to be met, once again, with nothing. 

Ku walked deeper into the alley and started to run her hand across the rough surface of the bricks. Finally, she reached the back, the only place she had not looked at. 

Touching it, she felt a strange sensation enter her, like she was being sucked into a vacuum, only the feeling was inside her body. When she looked behind her, she could see the city of Zanarkand, except it was very distant, and seemed to be drifting away from her. She tried to yell out, only to have her voice forced back into her throat. Facing frontward again, all Ku could see was darkness. 

Although it was hard to tell, it felt like she was slowing down, and the feeling inside of her was getting less noticeable. Time seemed to stop altogether until a constant throbbing entered her head. Finally, the pain became too much for her. Everything went black. 

* * *

__

Is it possible for everything to go black when you're in complete darkness? I guess it could happen… 

I hope most of the characters are somewhat in-character… I think I made Rikku a little too… er, I don't know, happy, I guess? I'll try to make her sound more Rikku-like next time. Auron sounds so boring. Blargh. Oh well. He's out of the story now. HA HA HA, Auron! You can't be boring and weird (in a supposedly 'mysterious' way which didn't quite work) in my story anymore. 

Y'know what I realized? 1) I write way too much in these italicized parts and 2) This story has a very cliché idea. It's probably the one most people would think of so no one writes about it. Therefore, no one writes it. And so, my story is still somewhat unique. And it has Brother in it. Which just makes it all so much better. 'Cause we all know that Brother should have been the main character in FFX. ^^ 

By the way, this story is probably going to be one of those really long ones. After all, I have to go through a whole pilgrimage… But hopefully it won't be so long that it's repetitive and boring. And that it gets so long I stop writing it out of laziness. 


	3. Arrival ::Past::

__

The second chapter is up! It's kinda… weird. And nothing really happens. Another introduction chapter? Perhaps. Not really though. Um… well, it'll get more interesting eventually, I'm sure. 

Certain parts may be a little confusing, simply because I had already written this chapter once and just cut and pasted a few parts in. I did re-read this, but I'm not sure that I caught everything. Also, the first part will make more sense later on. 

Oh, I guess I should put a disclaimer on my fanfic… Y'know, just the same old stuff, "I don't own FFX, the characters, I only own my orignal character, Ku. Etc. etc." You understand. 

I think I gave Cid too much slang… and I need to find a synonym for "sigh". I'm glad some people are actually reading the story though. ^^ (I still write too much up here in this italicized part, don't I?) 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou** __

Where am I? 

Am I alone? 

Are you… are you leaving me? 

No, please! Don't leave… 

I don't wanna be alone… please… 

…I am alone… 

*********************************

"Fryd?" (What?) 

"Fryd ec ed?" (What is it?) 

Kick kick. 

"…Ed muugc tayt." (…It looks dead.) 

"Fyed, ed ec pnaydrehk!" (Wait, it is breathing!) 

"Cruimt fa pnehk ed du Home?" (Should we bring it to Home?) 

"Pid fryd ev ed ec y fiend?" (But what if it is a fiend?) 

"Ed tuac hud muug mega y fiend. Fa lyhhud zicd mayja ed rana. Mad ic dyga ed fedr ic." (It does not look like a fiend. We cannot just leave it here. Let us take it with us.) 

*********************************

"Cid, fa vuiht ed eh dra tacand!" (Cid, we found it in the desert!) 

Two blond men were talking with another, a bald man named Cid. The first two almost cowered in the corner at the other, who was obviously very annoyed. 

"Oui eteudc! Fryd ev ed ec y veaht? Un funca, fryd ev ed ec yh Al-Bhed rydan? Ed luimt lyica dra tacdnildeuh uv Home pavuna fa'ja ajah vehecrat napiemtehk ed!" (You idiots! What if it is a fiend? Or worse, what if it is an Al-Bhed hater? It could cause the destruction of Home before we've even finished rebuilding it!) 

Cid was red in the face from his frustrated outburst. He sighed and pointed at the figure laying on the couch. 

"Fa ryja du kad net uv ed huf. Ku!" (We have to get rid of it now. Go!) 

"Unn… what?" The figure that had previously been laying on the couch was sitting up, legs dangling over the side of the piece of furniture. Her black hair was ruffled and matted with sand. "Did you say something to me?" 

"Rir?" (Huh?) all three of the men said in surprise. 

"…What?" She tilted her head to the side quizzically. 

"Fryd ec ed dymgehk ypuid?" (What is it talking about?) one of the blond men whispered to his companion, glancing sideways at the black-clothed person on the couch. 

Ku scratched her head in confusion, pain shooting through her body from the movement. Her hand dropped to her side limply. She couldn't understand anything they were saying. _Did I really hit my head that hard?_

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I don't understand…" 

The bald man sighed and ran his hand through his non-existent hair. Realizing there was nothing there to run his hand through, he let his arm drop to his side and sighed again. "Damn stress made me lose all my hair." 

Ku looked up at him. "You speak English? You understand me?" 

Cid dismissed the other two men, who had slowly inched their way to the door. After they had left, he turned to face the girl. "Yeah, sure do. Who are ya, kid?" 

"Hey!" she crossed her arms and pouted slightly. "I'm 17 years old. I'm not a kid." 

The man walked over to her and raised an arm out, placing his coarse hand on her head. "You're under 20 and short. Look like a kid to me." 

Ku waved the hand away and sighed in defeat. "My name's Ku. Who're you?" She glanced out of the only window present in the room. The window spanned across half of the round room, revealing a wide expanse of scenery outside. Desert stretched across the plain with only a few cacti dotting the golden land. Leaning closer to the window, she could see an all-metal city below held up by beams, also made of metal. Streets were also down below. "Hey," she reminisced. "It's kinda like Zanarkand." 

"I'm Cid. Leader of the-" He lost his train of thought and grabbed the girl's shoulder roughly, causing her to flinch from the touch. "You say Zanarkand? Where you from, kid?" 

Ku waved Cid's hand away a second time. "Um… I just said I was from Zanarkand…" 

Her answer was met with a startled glare. "Zanarkand, eh…" Cid laughed as he said this and shook his head. "You get near Sin or somethin'?" 

She backed away from the man and sat back down on the soft white couch. "I don't really know what Sin is, but why would it matter if I got near it?" 

He looked at her oddly and asked, "You sure you don't know what Sin is?" He was answered with a nod. "Damn… They say Sin messes with your head when you get too close to it. You must have gotten Sin's toxin pretty bad if you don't even know what it is-" 

"What does Sin have to do with anything?" Ku interrupted. "I just want to go back to Zanarkand. That's probably just a few days away, right?" 

Cid almost looked solemn as he talked. "Zanarkand was destroyed 'bout 1000 years ago. There ain't anything left there but ruins. You can't have lived there." 

Ku was shocked. She looked down but said nothing. 

"Look, kid, ya might think ya lived there, but you probably just got too near Sin. It must have made ya forget where yer real home is." 

"But," she stammered, "but I… I know I was just in Zanarkand. I remember it. It was the day of the blitzball tournament, and I left the stadium for a little. Then I started talking to that man, and he said all these… things. After that, it was like he just disappeared. Then I went into that alley, and…" She paused, as though she was afraid that saying the next part would prove it true. That saying she was here, in this place, at this time, would mean that Zanarkand really was gone. 

"And ya ended up here in Spira," Cid finished. 

"Spira?" she said uncertainly. 

"That's where ya are now. To be more specific, yer in Home now. The Al Bhed Home." 

"Al Bhed…" She was starting to accept her predicament. 

Cid was starting to pity the girl a little, with the lost tone in her voice. Still, he knew that if she asked him any more questions, he'd go insane. "Hey, why don'tcha go and look around Home?" he suggested. "Ya might find something you recognize. It'll be good for ya." 

Ku nodded and walked towards the room's exit, looking out the window once more. She smiled a little and walked out. 

* * *

_That must have been the worst conclusion ever written. _

I'm having problems with characters now. I'm trying to make Ku actually have a character, while not making her too perfect (cause that's just annoying). I mean, I have her character design made and everything, it's just not really showing. I guess it might take another chapter to actually show. And Cid, he seems a little too… sentimental? Sensitive? But I don't want to make him mean and spiteful or anything… Erg. 

By the way, if you didn't understand the part with the Al Bhed and Ku's name, "Go" in Al Bhed is "Ku". 

Also, if my story has any kind of similarities with your fanfic, it's really not done purposely. I already figured out the whole plot and the separate parts of my story, but I've read a few fics that have similar ideas to what I'm thinking. So, it's really not meant! I'll try to change a few of my original plans to make them more… original. (I have such great word choices.) 

Next chapter might not be very exciting. It will mostly be what Ku's thinking at the moment. Maybe I can finally get in that character development I need! The chapter after that will probably be the one where the real story starts. 


	4. Rin the Creepy Foreign Man ::Past::

_I'm finally done with this chapter. Do I say that on every chapter I finish? Sigh… _

I still need to expand my vocabulary. I have so many repetitive words in this chapter it's not even funny… But just how many synonyms are there for words like 'sigh' and 'nod'? Probably thousands… I just don't know about them. 

Sorry if this chapter's a little weird to read. I wrote most of it 12:00 AM or later (or earlier, depending on how you look at it) on different nights for each paragraph or so. Plus it's the first chapter that wasn't already written once and revised. It was mostly written off the top of my head, a very bad strategy. 

Just a note: the reason that some of the Al Bhed isn't translated is because Ku can't understand it. So neither can you. Ha ha. So there. ^^ 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

Ku walked out of the room she had talked to Cid in. Closing the door, she hung her head and took a deep breath. She was confused about everything: where she was, why she was here, Zanarkand, Sin, everything. She felt so helpless, a feeling she had often felt before and hated. Here she was, in a place she knew nothing about, and she couldn't do a thing about it. 

The floor suddenly sank beneath her. "Aah!" she yelled in surprise. The platform she was standing on was slowly moving downwards in a spiral. _Oh,_ she realized, _It's just a lift._ Rubbing her temples, she thought, _I must really be nervous to be scared of a lift, something you see everywhere in Zanarkand…_ She laughed at herself. 

The lift finally stopped at the bottom of the tower. Getting off of it, Ku told herself, "Cid's right. I probably just imagined I was from Zanarkand. I'll probably recognize something in Home." The statement was made half-heartedly. 

She walked out of the tower and into the large city. Looking around briefly, she could see that it shared many things with Zanarkand. It too was a city of metal and streets. People weren't as numerous here, but it was hardly noticeable. The most obvious difference was that the people all had blond hair. From the ones Ku had seen, they all possessed bright green eyes. It was a little strange, and it also made Ku stick out greatly with her black hair and brown eyes. Her clothing also received many odd looks from the people around her. 

She was never one to start conversations with people, especially those she did not know. She did try to smile at those around her and most returned the gesture. Every once in a while someone would flinch slightly and quickly walk away, or they would mumble something in their language. 

The city itself was amazing. She enjoyed looking at the city's structures as much as she had liked it in Zanarkand. The high metal towers were like the buildings in Zanarkand. Instead of the blitzball stadium that had occupied the center of Zanarkand, there was an empty central square, mostly made of sand. Bridges and streets were plentiful in the new city. Machines could be seen around every corner, and sometimes, a small green cactus-like creature would run across Ku's path and past the city limits. The city that Cid had called Home was making her homesick. 

Ku sighed. So far, she had seen nothing that she recognized. She was near the central square of Home and sat at the edge of it on the warm sand. "This isn't working," she said. "I haven't seen anything that makes me think of anything other than Zanarkand. And Cid says all that's left of Zanarkand is ruins… But, I can't remember anything. I'm sure I really came from Zanarkand, but no one's gonna believe me…" She leaned her head on the slab of metal sticking out of the ground behind her and shut her eyes in frustration. 

Almost on cue, something round and hard hit her. "OW!" She rubbed her head and opened her eyes to see a blitzball roll in front of her. _A blitzball?_ Ku picked it up and examined the ball closer to make sure it was real. 

"Rao!" a voice yelled. "Cunno ypuid dryd. Luimt fa ryja uin blitzball pylg?" A tall blond man, whose hair stuck out oddly in a way that made Ku think of horns, walked over to her. 

"Blitzball…" she said stunned. 

"Oayr, fa fana zicd bnyldelehk vun dra kysa eh Luca," he explained. "Luimt fa ryja ed pylg?" 

Ku stared at him blankly. "…What?" 

The man took the ball from her cautiously and gave her a sideways glance. "Faent..." he muttered as he walked away. 

The girl sat back down. "So, there's blitzball here too, I guess. Too bad I don't understand anything he just said…" She laid down and closed her eyes again, this time just to enjoy the warmth of the sun on her face. 

"I see that you have trouble with our language." 

Ku opened her eyes to see a man with tanned skin and shoulder-length blond hair. These people wouldn't stop bothering her. She finally realized that he had spoken English. 

"You speak English?" she said, more as a statement than a question. She got up and stood in front of him, brushing some sand off of her black pants. 

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear." He spoke with a strange, almost foreign accent, more like one that had been influenced by things all over the world. "Ah, please excuse my rudeness. I am Rin, the proprietor of Rin's Travel Agency." He held out his hand to her, which she took and shook in greeting. "Hela du saad oui. It means 'Nice to meet you' in Al Bhed." 

"Al Bhed…" she said thoughtfully. "Is that what the language is called here?" 

"Yes," Rin replied. "It is also what the people here are called. However, a few Al Bhed have also learned English, and that is what most others in Spira speak." 

"Oh," Ku said. "It's nice to know that some people can understand me, at least." She absentmindedly looked in the direction that the blitzball player had gone. "My name's Ku." 

"I am curious, Ku… Would you like to learn our language?" Ku looked at him. "I can teach you, if you would like." 

"Um… If it's not too much trouble, it would be nice… I think I might have to stay here for a while anyways, considering how well I'm doing." At Rin's confused look, she told him, "Cid says I got too near Sin, so I keep thinking I'm from Zanarkand. I'm a little lost, if you know what I mean." 

"Ah," Rin said as he gave her an understanding nod. "I see. It will probably help you to know our language and to know how to get around. Why don't I show you around Home? It should not take a very long time, and it will be good for you to get used to your surroundings." She accepted the offer. "Good. Come on, then. I will show you the main part of the city first." 

After a few minutes of walking, the two walked into what appeared to be the largest part of the city. Many more people were here than in the previous area and there were more buildings as well. 

"This," Rin explained, "is what you might call the Shopping District of Home. There are many shops here, as you can see." He pointed to a particularly large building. "Over there is one of the most popular stores here. You can find almost anything in there." He paused for a moment, pondering whether he was forgetting something. 

"Rin!" Another Al Bhed man ran over to them, holding a small slip of paper. "Rin, fa ryja dra cibbmeac dryd oui ycgat vun. Yna oui kuehk du kad dras?" 

"E ymsucd vunkud ypuid dras," Rin said. "Oac, E femm kad dras huf." He turned to regard Ku. "Please excuse me for a moment. I need to get some supplies from this man for my shops. If you would just wait for me over there, I will be back shortly." He pointed to a small clearing and walked away with the other man. 

Ku went over to the place that Rin had pointed out to her. She stood on the edge of the area and looked around nervously, hoping that Rin would be quick. She felt awkward just standing there, especially when she looked so out of place. Ku started to fidget, making her look even stranger. _Erg…_ she thought. _Rin had better hurry up. Oh well, as long as nothing else happens today…_ ****************** 

"Brother, Keyakku! Rinno ib! Kaaw, oui yna pudr cu cmuf!" (Brother, Keyakku! Hurry up! Geez, you are both so slow!) 

"Rikku! Fydlr frana oui yna kuehk!" (Rikku! Watch where you are going!) 

"Aah! Rikku, muug uid!" (Aah! Rikku, look out!) 

The young blonde Al Bhed girl collided with something. Getting up with Keyakku's help, she looked down to see a girl with long black hair on the ground, whom Brother picked up. "Aah! Cunno! Cunno!" she said quickly to the person. 

"Um… that's ok…" the other said to her nervously, holding her head. She tried to nod but stumbled to the side instead, caught by Rikku's brother and pushed upright again. "Uh… thanks." 

"Hey!" Rikku yelled. "You speak English! So I guess you aren't from around here? We don't get many visitors. I'm Rikku! Who are you?" 

"Wait…" Ku said in a half-dazed manner. "You understand me?" 

Rikku smiled and laughed. "Yup! My dad taught me how to speak English. Brother knows a bit of it too." At the reference, she pointed to the boy with the mohawk and flame-like tattoos next to her. "Keyakku doesn't speak it, but he understands it." She gestured to the other boy on her other side. He, of course, had blond hair, and he wore goggles with his orange-yellow suit. 

"I'm Ku." Thinking of what Rin had said earlier, she attempted to speak some Al Bhed. "…Hela doo sad we." At the odd looks the three gave her, she said hastily, "I mean, nice to meet you." 

"Ohhh…" the three Al Bhed said in unison. 

"Well," Rikku said, "We gotta be going now. Dad told us we had to be back home soon. Maybe we'll see you around sometime! Bye!" Rikku waved enthusiastically at Ku and ran off, the other two trailing behind her. 

_This isn't as bad as I thought it would be,_ Ku thought. _So far, I've already met four people who can speak English, and Rin said he would teach me Al Bhed. I'm sure I can get used to this._

"I see you have met Cid's two children?" Rin was walking towards her holding a few new bags of supplies. "I am done getting the things I had ordered. Shall we go to another part of Home now?" He started to walk off and Ku ran after him. 

"This," Rin said as he waved his hand at the area around him, "is the Residential section of Home. Most of the houses are here, including my own." He pointed to a small beige house that looked like all the others. "Would you like to come in? I can start teaching you our language now, if you wish." Ku nodded and followed Rin into his house. 

It was a small house, and the inside looked very much like the outside. It appeared to be made of a mix of brick and metal, painted beige to give it a sandy texture. Inside there was little furniture, only what was necessary. It was very modest housing, but retained a cozy feeling to it. 

"Please excuse my humble abode. It is really only a temporary home as I am usually out in my shops around Spira, but I am able to make do with it." 

"Oh," Ku said as she smiled. "It's fine, really. I think it's nice." She sat on one of the small uncomfortable chairs near one of the corner tables. 

Rin started to unload some things from the bags he had received. "Ah, this will be good for the Macalania shop." Looking at Ku, he explained, "Macalania is one of Spira's cities. It is fairly large, but pales in comparison to Bevelle. It is very cold there. Perhaps you will see it someday." 

Ku nodded at him. "I'm hoping to see some of these other cities sometime." She looked at a box that Rin had taken out. "Is that birdseed?" 

"This?" He picked up the big container. "It is Chocobo feed. I can probably send this to Mi'ihen Highroad…" 

She took the box from him and examined it closer. "What's a chocobo?" 

"Chocobos," Rin started, "are similar to birds. They are one of the main forms of transportation in Spira." He took more supplies out of the bags. "If you ever go to the Mi'ihen Highroad, there is a man working in the agency who is very good with Chocobos. You should ask him about them if you ever meet him." After putting a few of the things away, he asked, "Do you want to start learning Al Bhed now?" 

She nodded. "Ok." 

"I suppose that you would want to learn the basics first. Like I said before, 'Hela du saad oui' means 'Nice to meet you'. 'Rammu' means 'Hello'. 'Kuutpoa' is 'Goodbye'." 

And so, the Al Bhed lessons began. 

  


* * *

_And so, another bad conclusion is made. I really have to improve on my endings. _

It's strange. Ku won't talk to most people on the streets, yet she'll talk to the strange foreign man who just happens to overhear things. How convenient. Rin seems a little too friendly. Notice how he always just happens to be lurking around the corner, ready to make a small comment? I find that to be freaky. 

Something round and hard hit her. That line's never gonna sound right… 

Next chapter will be when stuff actually starts happening! Yay. You only had to site through 3 chapters for something to happen. Amazing. (Can you tell I'm tired? It's 1:58 in the morning right now… don't ask me why I'm still awake. I don't know why. But I'm going to sleep. Right now.) 


	5. The Forbidden Aeon ::Past::

_Ha! I finished this in one day! ONE! It usually takes me at least three days. But this took me one. Betcha didn't expect that! Another chapter all done in just one day! At this rate, I might finish this fic quicker than I thought. Watch as the quality drops from my tiredness. I am sadly very exhausted from this. And I ate too much apple pie. I feel sick now. _

This takes place three weeks after the last chapter. I doubt you wanna read about Ku's boring adventures in Home for three weeks. I sure don't wanna write it… So you're never going to read it. 

I'm not sure if the Al Bhed is done right… I'm no expert in their language. Ku talks mostly in English, just cause she prefers it, I guess. You all understand, right? 

I'm listening to Kirei na Kanjou from Noir right now! In case you're kinda slow, it's the song this fic is based on. Mostly cause I liked the name. ^^ 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

"Thanks, Rin! I'll come back tomorrow, like always, right?" Ku smiled as she exited the small house. She waved at the person inside and looked around her. The sun was starting to set and darkness was beginning to settle on the city. She started walking to the high tower she considered her home. 

_It's amazing how fast time flies,_ she thought. _It doesn't feel like it, but it's already been three weeks since I first came here. I've met many of the people in Home and become friends with a lot of them. Rin has already taught me so much Al Bhed and I can actually speak it and be understood now. I haven't seen Rikku or her brother much, but Cid says they're on a salvage ship looking for some ancient machina. I actually know what machina is now, and all the other things in Spira that weren't in Zanarkand._

Ku was passing a large building that was familiar to her. The large sign hanging above the door said 'MEPNYNO', or 'Library'. She had been in there numerous times in the past few weeks researching. 

_But, even though I've accepted this place as my home, I can't stop thinking about Zanarkand._ She stopped in front of the library. _I try to forget it, and the next thing I know, I'm in the library, trying to find a way back to Zanarkand…_

Ku sighed and kept walking. She eventually arrived at the bottom of the tower. Entering the lift she had now become accustomed to, she felt herself being carried to the top. She knocked on the first door on the right, the conference room. 

"Come in, Ku," a gruff voice shouted on the other side. It was amazing how accurate Cid could be. 

She opened the door and grinned at the man in the corner. Like always, he was working on something concerning the rebuilding of Home. "Hey, Cid. Just came in to tell you I'm back from Rin's house." 

Cid turned around to face Ku. "Ya learn some more Al Bhed today?" She nodded and was met with a smirk. "Good. Now you can actually talk to people." He laughed a little at the pout she gave him. "Oh, in case ya wanna know, Rikku and Brother came back today. They're sleepin' already, but you can probably see 'em tomorrow." He went back to his previous activity at his desk. "Well, I gotta get back to work on these papers. Go get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow." 

"Goodnight." Ku closed the door and walked down the narrow corridor to the guestroom. Inside, it had been furnished well to suit her needs. It was nice in there, just a little cramped because of lack of space. Still, she was thankful that the leader of the Al Bhed had been kind enough to supply her with a place to stay. 

Ku walked over to the small table by her bed. On it were two frames holding photos inside. They hadn't bothered to take it out of the room when Ku had started staying in it, and she liked to look at the memories they kept. The first was of a large yellow bird, a Chocobo, standing in the desert next to a cactus. The other was her favorite. It showed Cid with his two children and a woman holding them. It was obviously an old picture, all of the members of the family being much younger in the photo. The edges of the photo were also yellowing and brittle. She always thought about how happy they looked together, how perfect and so much like the ideal family. 

"I'm glad… that some people can enjoy their families like that…" she said as she got into bed. She fell asleep shortly afterwards. 

******************

"Cid!" one of the men at the Observation Tower called. "Cusadrehk ec ybbnuylrehk Home!" (Cid! Something is approaching Home!) 

"Fryd?" Cid asked. "Fryd ec ed?" (What? What is it?) 

"E tu hud ghuf, pid ed ec jano mynka..." (I do not know, but it is very large…) 

"Luimt ed pa Sinspawn?" (Could it be Sinspawn?) another man joined in. 

"Pid E druikrd fa lmaynat ymm dra Sinspawn vnus dra ecmyht!" (But I thought we cleared all the Sinspawn from the island!) 

"Ed ec lusehk lmucan!" (It is coming closer!) 

"Ed ec Sinspawn!" (It is Sinspawn!) 

"Cuiht dra ymyns! Damm ajanouha du kad nayto!" (Sound the alarm! Tell everyone to get ready!) 

******************

Ku woke up with a start when a loud alarm started ringing throughout the tower. 

"Ajanouha! Sinspawn ec yddylgehk Home! Ajanouha cruimt ku du dra cramdan haynacd du dras. E nabayd, Sinspawn ec yddylgehk Home! Brother, Rikku! Ramb cdub dra fiend!" (Everyone! Sinspawn is attacking Home! Everyone should go to the shelter nearest to them. I repeat, Sinspawn is attacking Home! Brother, Rikku! Help stop the fiend!) 

She got up and ran out to the corridor where she saw Rikku and Brother run to the lift. Ku ran after them and entered the lift with them. 

"Hey!" Rikku exclaimed. "It's you! Haven't seen ya for a while. Too bad it's now…" Brother nodded in agreement. 

"Hey, Rikku," Ku asked, "What is Sinspawn?" 

"Ya mean Dad didn't tell you that? Geez…" she shook her head. "Well, y'know what Sin is, right? Sinspawn are monsters that it leaves behind. If we don't get rid of them, Sin just comes back to get them. I was pretty sure all the Sinspawn were gone from the island, but I guess not…" 

The lift had reached the bottom. Rikku and Brother ran out in the direction where the monster seemed to be. Ku wasn't exactly sure where to go, but started running in the direction she saw most of the Al Bhed people running. 

Eventually, she reached a small makeshift shelter. There were already several families inside and there was barely enough room for Ku. She managed to squeeze into a corner. 

An explosion was heard outside and some gunshots. A few of the children screamed and hid near the back of the shelter where some of the women tried to comfort them. 

_Helpless again,_ Ku thought. _I wish… I wish I could help them._

She leaned against the wall and put her hand against the metal surface. Suddenly, the wall shifted and disappeared, revealing a long corridor. Some of the people in the shelter looked her way and at the newly found path. 

"Um… E femm ku caa fryd ec ehceta," (I will go see what is inside) Ku said. "E femm damm oui ev ed ec cyva. Tu hud funno." (I will tell you if it is safe. Do not worry.) She stepped inside the dark entrance. 

Keeping one hand on the sidewall to not get lost, she started to make her way through the corridor. It was a lot longer than she had imagined, but a while after she thought she saw a pale blue light shining. She started running, eager to find the source of the light. 

Finally, she reached the end. A platform was at the center of a small round room. Embedded in the platform was a metal pole, and on that pole hung a blue pendant. It was the source of the light Ku had seen earlier. The pendant resembled a sea serpent with curved wings. Aquamarines lined its gold body and its eye was a ruby. 

Without realizing what she was doing, she unhooked the chain that the pendant was on and clipped it around her neck. She started walking down the cold corridor again. It was like she couldn't stop herself from doing these things; someone else was controlling her body. She didn't stop when she reached the shelter. Instead, she just kept walking straight to the exit. 

"Ku!" one of the women cried. "Frana yna oui kuehk? Ed ec hud cyva uid drana!" (Ku! Where are you going? It is not safe out there!) 

She turned slowly to the woman who had spoken. "We… we must… help." With that, she walked out of the shelter into the cracked streets outside, the blue pendant swinging hypnotically from her neck. 

******************

"Father!" Brother yelled as he shot off another bullet from a machina cannon. "Fa lyhhud dyga silr suna uv drec!" (We cannot take much more of this!) 

"Drana yna duu syho lyciymdeac ujan rana!" (There are too many casualties over here!) Rikku shouted while giving an Al Bhed potion to one of the many wounded people around her. "Fa yna hud kuehk du mycd!" (We are not going to last!) 

Cid wiped some blood off of the side of his mouth. "Tysh..." (Damn…) he muttered. Facing his daughter, he yelled, "Rikku! Zicd gaab dahtehk du dra fuihtat!" (Rikku! Just keep tending to the wounded!) To Brother, he yelled, "Gaab venehk! Fa ryja hu lruela pid du gaab dnoehk!" (Keep firing! We have no choice but to keep trying!) _Worst comes to worst,_ he thought, _we can always blow up Home. But that's the last resort…_

"Rao, Father!" Cid heard Brother say. "Fryd ec dryd kenm tuehk rana?" (Hey, Father! What is that girl doing here?) 

_Girl?_ he asked himself silently. He looked in the direction that Brother was pointing and saw Ku walking slowly towards them and the Sinspawn. "Damn! Ku! Get outta here!" She ignored him and kept approaching them. "KU!" 

A glint of blue caught Cid's eye. "Wait… that can't be… the pendant?" Ku was closer to him now. "Ku! What're ya doin' with that pendant?!" 

Ku looked at him and answered quietly, "We have come to help." Her eyes were blank and devoid of expression. She passed him and started to advance to the Sinspawn. 

As Rikku watched the ensuing scene between Ku and her father, she started to panic. "Dad! Fryd ec Ku tuehk? Cra ec kuehk du dra Sinspawn!" (Dad! What is Ku doing? She is going to the Sinspawn!) She pointed frantically to the girl who was now standing just meters away from the attacking monster. 

"E ghuf, Rikku... Pid drana ec hudrehk E lyh tu! Leviathan luhdnumc ran huf. " (I know, Rikku… But there is nothing I can do! Leviathan controls her now.) 

The monster was massive, easily towering hundreds of feet above Ku. It resembled one of the Sandworms that lived in the deserts near Home, but much larger and uglier. It clamped its four pairs of pincers and settled its two huge watering black eyes on Ku. It slowly moved towards her, leaving a trail of a burning green substance. 

Ku clasped her hands together and brought them down to the gold serpent hanging on her neck. Picking it up by its wings, she held it in front of her face and closed her eyes. A bright flash emitted from the pendant. 

Everyone in Home could see what happened next, though many would never believe it. A huge pillar of stone rose out from underneath the sand, and on the pillar was water. The water just rested at the top of the stone, frozen in time. A ball of light arose from the water and floated above the pillar. A light blue sea serpent started emerging from it and calmly stretched its long body out. It turned its finned head to the Sinspawn and curled itself into an "S" shape, never taking its eyes from the creature. With a slight flick of its tail, the serpent forced the water down the stone. The water crashed into the Sinspawn, completely drowning it in water, yet somehow protecting the Al Bhed. After a few minutes, the water vanished. 

The Sinspawn was lying on its side on the desert floor. Its body exploded into a burst of pyreflies and was gone. 

The large serpent floated down to Ku and faced her. She looked in awe at it and couldn't take her eyes of it as it came closer. "Leviathan…" she mouthed. It entered back into the pendant. Ku blacked out. 

* * *

Geez, Ku blacks out a lot. 

Finally, something happens that's semi-interesting. Well, the plot should move smoothly from here. 

I have nothing more to say. I really need to stop writing these things so late. It's 3:30 AM. (See how loyal I am to you few fans out there? Actually, the only reason I'm up is probably just cause I'm an idiot.) 

I'm just gonna sleep tomorrow during Thanksgiving. It's a good thing we ate Thanksgiving dinner a day early (my parents have to go visit someone for Thanksgiving). I might just sleep through it. (Although, knowing me, I"ll probably eat a second Thanksgiving dinner just for the heck of it and get sick again tomorrow. I am such a pig. A very happy pig, of course.) 

Next Chapter: er… I'm not really sure. I'll figure it out later. ^^; 


	6. Unwanted ::Past::

_Another chapter done in ONE DAY! HAHAHAHAHA. And in the early early morning. Almost as early as yesterday's chapter. The quality on this chapter really dropped, if you ask me. Hopefully, the next chapter will be normal. _

I've had a fairly bad day today. It was a good day. I slept in, was happy, etc. I did nothing and played Xenogears for the majority of the day, sadly. For brunch (more like Lunch/Dinner), I ate a turkey leg and rice. The turkey leg was too hard and the coke I drank made me feel nauseous. Then I get to Babel Tower in Xenogears and get stuck in the same part for hours and keep falling down and down and down. And they won't let me escape from battles in my frustration. Then I ate more turkey and rice. And it was good turkey and rice. That made my day better. Then I find out that Brother might be a main character in FFX-2. That made my day happy. Thank you Jezzi for making my day happy! ^^ So I guess I had a happy day. 

None of you really care, do you? Well… it was fun to write anyways. 

::no longer cares if she makes sense or not because of tiredness and is also writing way too much in this nice supposedly short part at the beginning of the story:: 

About the story, it's kinda short this time, and a lot of it is dialogue. I really couldn't figure out how to describe some of the things in there, but I think it's decent at the moment. Again, the Al Bhed probably isn't perfect either. 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

"Rao, Dad," Rikku asked. "Fro luimt cra cissuh Leviathan?" (Hey, Dad. Why could she summon Leviathan?) 

"E tu hud ghuf, Rikku..." (I do not know, Rikku…) Cid answered. 

Brother joined into the conversation. "Tu oui drehg cra ec y Summoner?" (Do you think she is a Summoner?) 

"Hu, E tu hud drehg cra ec. Cra cyoc cra ec vnus Zanarkand, cu ruf luimt cra pa y Summoner?" (No, I do not think she is. She says she is from Zanarkand, so how could she be a Summoner?) 

"Pid fryd amca luimt ed pa?" (But what else could it be?) 

"Mega E ryja yho etay! Pid, ed ec nisunat dryd Leviathan lruucac baubma jano lynavimmo... Zicd dra vyld dryd Ku fyc ypma du veht ed frah ed fyc rettah mega dryd bnujac dryd cra fyc uha uv dra uhac lrucah po res." (Like I have any idea! But, it is rumored that Leviathan chooses people very carefully... Just the fact that Ku was able to find it when it was hidden like that proves that she was one of the ones chosen by him.) 

"Oayr... famm, fryd tu fa tu huf?" (Yeah… well, what do we do now?) 

"Fa fyed vun Ku du nalujan. Fa cruimt ku caa ev cra ec yfyga." (We wait for Ku to recover. We should go see if she is awake.) 

******************

_"Ugh…" Ku grabbed her pounding head and stood up. The last thing she remembered was going to the Sinspawn, and now she was here. "Where am I?" _

**You are in your subconscious. It is where I now reside… **

She looked around her nervously and started wandering in a random direction. She could see nothing around her; it was just emptiness, absolute nothingness. "Who's there? Where are you?" 

**I am right here. Keep going deeper into your mind if you wish to find me.**

She kept walking and eventually saw a familiar blue light she recognized as the one from the pendant she had worn. Going forwards, she was able to see a tall figure standing with its back turned to her. As she approached it, she saw that it was a man with long, dark blue hair. He turned to her, his narrow aqua green eyes penetrating into her own brown ones. Ku's mouth dropped slightly as she mumbled, "You are…" 

**Yes. I am Leviathan. **

He started to walk to her, his long light blue robe flowing gracefully on him. It reminded Ku of waves. "So this is what a fayth looks like…" 

Leviathan nodded at her and took her head into his hands. Then, just as quickly, he dropped her head and turned away again. 

**You are alone in this world, are you not?**

"What?" Ku asked, confused. "No… I'm not alone. I live with the Al Bhed. So I'm not alone." 

**But inside… you are alone…**

Leviathan started to move away from Ku, and she hastily followed him. "Wait! What do you mean?" 

He motioned to an image that had appeared before them. It was a memory that Ku knew immediately, one she had thought of often. A small girl sat in the corner of a building full of other young children like her. However, despite the many people there, she sat distanced from them all. 

**This… You remember this? You were always alone in the end…**

"That memory," she said softly. "How do you know about it?" 

**We are in your subconscious. I can delve into any of your memories.**

Perhaps it was the man's appearance, or maybe the fact that he could see into Ku's mind as he wished that unnerved Ku so much. She started to back away from him. "Stop… stop looking into my mind…" 

She closed her eyes trying to make him disappear, and felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She jumped away from the owner of the hand, who was, of course, Leviathan. 

**You do not need to be scared. I will not hurt you.**

"Why are you here?" Ku asked, still keeping her distance from the man. 

**I am here to warn you. And protect you, if it is needed.**

"Warn me? About… what?" She stopped to look into the man's face, attempting to find some clue about what he was saying. 

**You are not wanted here. You are… a mistake. Because you are not needed, Fate does not want you. Fate does not need you.**

"Why does this concern me? What does it matter?" 

**If Fate does not want it, Fate eliminates it.**

Her eyes widened at the last comment Leviathan had made. He took this opportunity to walk closer to her and hold her by the shoulders. 

**But do not worry. I will protect you as your Aeon. And, I know that many others will soon protect you.**

"Aeon…" Ku breathed. "Summoners… don't they have Aeons?" 

**Yes. Will you become a Summoner? Your pilgrimage will hold many of the answers you seek.**

"I… I want to know more. Yes… I will become a Summoner. If it will help me find these answers, I will become one. And… it'll help the Al Bhed too, right?" 

**You wish to help the Al Bhed? Then… yes. It will help them if you wish it too.**

"Then I will do it." 

**Good. Let me become your first Aeon then. I will guide you on your pilgrimage.**

Leviathan began to walk away from Ku, drifting further into her mind, leaving her alone. A question arose in her mind. "Wait!" she yelled after him. 

Surprisingly, the fayth turned his head to her. 

"Why are you helping me like this?" 

**I choose the ones I help carefully. You should be content that I am helping you at all. **

At Ku's disappointed look, he continued. A smile even played on his lips, something that shocked the girl. 

**However, if you must know, it is because I too am alone. We are both cursed by Fate. Leviathan, an impure Aeon forbidden by Yevon, and Ku, a Summoner unwanted by Fate… an interesting pair, no?**

Ku shook her head, still a little lost. "I don't know if it'll be interesting. I don't even know if I'll be able to stand against Fate. But… thank you." 

**Your friends are calling you. I will allow you to go back to your conscious state and see them. But you must not tell them anything I have told you. It is too… abstract for them to understand. If they ask, simply say that Leviathan has spoken to you. And remember your promise. Both to me and the Al Bhed…**

******************

"Ku!" Cid yelled. "Damn you… wake up!" He started shaking Ku's limp body by her shoulders. "You sure are some idiot, goin' up against one of Sin's spawn like that… Even if ya were controlled by Leviathan!" He started shaking her more violently. 

"Ir, Father," Brother criticized. "E ys hud cina dryd ed ec cyva du tu dryd du cusauha fru ec ihluhcleuic..." (Um, Father, I am not sure that it is safe to do that to someone who is unconscious…) 

"Oayr!" Rikku shouted. "Yht fa nyh uid uv Phoenix Downs ymnayto!" (Yeah! and we are out of Phoenix Downs already!) 

Cid turned to his children and yelled at them, "Xied lusbmyehehk! Ed ec paddan dryh tuehk hudrehk!" (Quit complaining! It is better than doing nothing!) 

Brother and Rikku were silent. 

A small moan emitted from Ku's lips. She opened her eyes slowly and somewhat painfully. "Ow… my shoulders really hurt…" 

"Yay!" Rikku shouted, running to sit next to Ku on the bed after Cid had placed her in a sitting position leaning against the wall. "You're awake!" The Al Bhed girl grinned widely. Brother just smiled, and Cid stood up and laughed. 

"We were afraid we'd lost ya there! Gah ha ha ha ha!" 

Ku smiled back at the family. "Yeah… well, thankfully Leviathan was there to help me." 

"Hey, about that, Ku," Cid started. "How'd ya find that pendant?" 

"Well, I just touched a wall in one of the shelters and found it." Seeing the shocked expression on his face, she continued, "Was I not supposed to find it? 'Cause it was pretty easy to get to it." 

"I heard that the thing was sealed away. If you just found it like that, must mean that Leviathan really likes ya." 

"Well," she remembered, "He did talk to me. In my head." She pointed to her head to emphasize. "Oh! That reminds me. I have to ask you something, Cid." 

Cid waved his hand to dismiss Rikku and Brother, both of who left the room. "Yeah? What is it?" 

"I… I want to become a Summoner." 

Cid's once calm demeanor was suddenly very flustered. "WHAT?!" 

Thinking that Cid could probably be heard all over Home, and all over Spira for that matter, she said calmly, "I said, I want to become a Summoner." 

"Why the hell do ya wanna do that?!" he shouted just as loudly as before. 

"Because, I want to find out some things. Like, if I'm really from Zanarkand, or what I'm doing here. Plus, I'll get to see some of the other cities in Spira. And… um… I guess I want to help the Al Bhed, too." 

"Help us?! What'll getting' yerself killed for Spira do for us?!" 

She sighed. "You said that most of Yevon doesn't like the Al Bhed, right? But, from what I've seen, the Al Bhed are just like everyone else. They do the same things as people; they suffer the same as the Yevonites. They hate Sin, and Sin attacks them just like everyone else. So… I guess, if I'm a Summoner, I could show that the Al Bhed want the same things as everyone else in Spira." 

"Damn!" Cid said angrily. "That is the worst reason I have ever heard for a pilgrimage!" 

Rubbing her temples in frustration, Ku argued, "Well, shouldn't I get my own choice in this? I mean, it isn't you getting yourself killed, is it? It's me! So shouldn't I be the one who gets to say whether or not I go?" 

"Listen to yerself!" Cid practically screamed. "Don't ya hear what you're saying? You're tellin' yourself your gonna die! You're just guaranteeing your own death!" 

"I'll find another way then! I'll find a way… to not get killed. I know that it's possible! I have to go, don't you understand?!" 

Cid pounded a fist against the wall, scaring Ku slightly. "Well, I'm not gonna let any of my Al Bhed drag you to your death." 

"Well," Ku said thoughtfully, "I can either have a guardian and possibly die a long time from now, or I can not have any guardians and die out in the desert, my rotting corpse eaten by a sandworm." She turned to Cid, his back facing her. "Well? It's your choice, really." 

He laughed miserably. "Heh, I hate people like you. You always manage to sound right somehow…" He faced her. "I guess there ain't no stoppin' ya now. I'll lend you a guardian after I finish training you!" 

"Er… Training?" Ku looked uneasily at the man laughing in front of her. 

"Gah ha ha ha ha! That's right! You gotta learn how to fight before I let you outta here. We'll do it in my room starting tomorrow. Get some sleep before then. You'll need it!" He laughed some more as he exited the room. 

Ku went back to sleep, even more scared of Cid than she had been before. 

* * *

_That was also a bad ending. I'm tired. It's 3:31 AM EST. I am tired. Again. Why do I stay up this late?? WHY?? _

::is becoming hysterical from lack of sleep:: 

This was a weird chapter. Leviathan is creepy too. All the characters are creepy. And Cid went insane. I think he reflects my emotions at the moment. 

The last part was especially bad, IMO. But it's passable for now. I'm hoping the next chapter will be easier to write. 

I ate Thanksgiving dinner leftovers all day today. All my meals consisted of turkey and rice. Yum yum. 

Next Chapter: The journey actually starts! Finally! ^^ 


	7. The Beginning of the End ::Past::

_Y'know what I ate today? You'll never guess. I ate… TURKEY AND RICE! Turkey and turkey fried rice, to be exact. I also drank some corn soup, and I think I saw some turkey in that too. I'm never gonna get this turkey taste out of my mouth… _

It's taking Ku a long time to get out of Home (three weeks to learn the language and culture, one week to learn culture and fighting), but it happens eventually! I bet at least 354,697,000 have been killed by Sin already… there isn't going to be anyone left to save in Spira… 

I even managed to use a vocabulary word in this chapter! "Rancor". My language arts teacher says that you have to use a word three times and it's yours. I'm probably never going to use that word again. 

Oh, and because I've forgotten it in every other chapter: For the Al Bhed language, I use an Al Bhed-English Translator. A very good one is at http://www.pixelscapes.com/twoflower/albhed.html. 

And on another note: To any Cactuars or Cactuar fans out there, I have nothing against Cactuars. They're just a lot easier to use than anything else. And I find their attacks to be horribly cruel. Especially a certain one that includes a number with a 1 and 4 zeros. -_-;; 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

It was the final day of Ku's so-called 'training'. Cid's training program had lasted a week, consisting mostly of learning terms and customs that Rin had already taught her. However, it had also taught her the important skill of fighting, something she would be using often outside of Home. Unfortunately, Ku didn't really have the natural ability for attacking. 

Cid was standing just outside of the city limits of Home beside a large cage. Ku stood a few yards away, across from him. 

"Alright, Ku!" he yelled. It's time to see if your training's paid off! Get ready!" 

She braced herself, gripping her weapon tightly. The weapon was a scythe, its crescent-shaped blade embedded in the long staff that Ku was holding. On top of the staff was a small orb, which Cid had said was necessary for summoning. 

"Ready!" she shouted back to him. 

Cid pressed a bright blue button on the side of the cage. The metal bars that had once closed off the opening were slowly rising. Ku tried to see what was inside and walked a little closer. Unexpectedly, a small green cactus popped out of the cage. 

"Um… Cid?" she said dubiously as she lowered her scythe. "That's a cactus…" 

"Ku! Remember the first lesson I taught ya! Never underestimate anything and never let your guard down!" 

The little cactus seemed to grow arms and legs. Its eyes, which were more like holes that had been cut into it, stared as well as they could at Ku. 

She inched forward gradually to the green thing that was now looking at her. Keeping her distance, she swiped at it with her weapon, effectively chopping off one of its arms. 

The Cactuar made a squealing noise and ran backwards. It stopped and faced her again, fury in its eyes. Ku couldn't actually see this fury, but assumed it was there anyways. 

"Cid?" she asked nervously. "What's it doing?" 

Cid was now hiding behind the cage. He peeked out and yelled, "It's doing its 10,000 Needles attack! Watch out!" 

_10,000 Needles?_ She had little time to think about it before she saw a storm of black flying towards her. She looked at it quizzically before realizing they were the 10,000 Needles. _Oh… so THAT'S what it means…_

She quickly jumped up and started running to the side, the Cactuar following her with its needle attack. "Cid, you didn't tell me it could do that!!" She started running in circles, needles just barely missing her. "You were supposed to give me an easier enemy!! ONE WITH NO NEEDLES!!" 

"Hey!" he pointed out. "You only gotta wait for it to run out of needles, then go and attack it! Besides, do ya really think all the monsters in Spira are gonna tell ya what they can do?" _Damn,_ he thought. _Aren't main heroines supposed to be better at fighting than that? Maybe I shouldn't let Rikku be her guardian; it's probably not safe. I'll send someone who can actually attack…_

While he pondered, Ku was still running. The little Cactuar seemed to have an unlimited supply of needles, and Ku was getting tired. 

Finally, the attack stopped. 

_Ha,_ Ku thought. _Now I'll get you back for that…_ She started to run towards it, her scythe posed over her shoulder ready to be swung. Just as she reached it, the Cactuar started to run away. 

"What?" she muttered. "Hey! Wait!" 

The little Cactuar ran off into the desert, its little 'O'-shaped mouth curved into a sadistic smile. 

Ku decided at that moment to forever hold a strong rancor for Cactuars. She let her weapon drop to her side and hung her head. "Geez… I finally get close enough and it runs away. Even after attacking me like that!" She walked over to Cid, who was pondering something. "Hey, Cid. It ran away." 

"Oh, good," he mumbled, obviously not listening. A few minutes later, he said, "I figured out who your first guardian will be. I'll let ya know who later. I got something to give to you first. Why don'tcha go back to the tower and take a break?" 

"Sure," she replied. She waved to him and started walking back to the tower. 

Ku had reached the top of the tower and was sitting on the bed in her room. She placed her scythe on the floor. Cid had made it a rule in the tower to not carry the weapon around, Ku being incredibly accident-prone when she wasn't thinking. She had managed to break three vases, two of which had been replacements for their predecessors, and had cracked two mirrors. Ku had tried to convince the Al Bhed that the cracks were a nice touch to the once plain and boring glass, but Cid had thought otherwise. 

Ku looked down at her stomach, which was now making odd growling noises. "Feels like I haven't eaten for a week…" She exited the room and walked to another door farther down the hallway and entered the kitchen. 

"Al Bhed food is the greatest food!" she said for no apparent reason to the empty room. The kitchen always had some kind of food lined up on the counter so any members of the family could just run in and grab something to eat without having to take the time to prepare it. "Yay!" she exclaimed happily, examining the casserole bowl. "Zu meat!" 

She smiled as she grabbed a plate and started dishing the majority of the food onto it. Despite her small size, she could eat a lot, especially when it was her favorite food. Looking back into the almost empty bowl, she muttered, "I hope no one notices…" 

Ku sat down at the long table in the room. They were always expecting visitors, Cid being the leader of the Al Bhed, so they always had extra places just in case. The view was beautiful from where she sat, the room having a huge curving window on one side. It felt like one could see the whole desert from here. 

"Well, no time to look at scenery! Gotta eat first." Ku laughed at herself, knowing she'd never be saying all these things were there other people in the room with her. It was so much easier for her to open up when she was alone, or around those she was close to. 

Hey, Ku!" a voice shouted from outside the door. "You in here?" 

"Yeah, I'm in the kitchen!" she yelled back. "I'll be out in a minute." After quickly finishing the rest of her food, she disposed of her plate and all evidence that she had been the one to finish most of the large meal still sitting on the counter. 

She walked out of the room to find Cid holding a brown paper bag. "Here, it's a gift for ya. I got some of the Al Bhed to make it." Handing the bag to her, she could see it was a dress of some sort. "Go try it on. I'll get your guardian." 

Ku entered the bathroom located near her room and Cid walked to another door nearby. Knocking on it, he heard a muffled reply and opened the door. A few discarded items fell on Cid, making him wonder what his wife would have thought had she still been alive. His parental instincts kicking in, he scolded, "Brother, tu oui hajan lmayh ouin nuus?" (Brother, do you never clean your room?) 

"Father," he said lazily from his laying position on the bed, "fro tuac ed syddan du oui?" (Father, why does it matter to you?) 

Cid sighed, knowing that neither Brother or Rikku would ever take him seriously. _All the better to make him go,_ he thought. "Brother, E ryja yh esbundyhd dycg vun oui." (Brother, I have an important task for you.) 

Brother sat up and looked at his father inquisitively. "Fryd dycg?" (What task?) 

"E fyhd oui du pa dra guardian uv y Summoner." (I want you to be the guardian of a Summoner.) 

"Fryd?!" he shouted. "E druikrd oui fana ykyehcd pilgrimages!" (What?! I thought you were against pilgrimages!) 

"Drec Summoner..." he said softly, "cra ec hud kuehk du cdub. Ed ec ran lruela yhofyoc." (This Summoner… she is not going to stop. It is her choice anyways.) 

"Pid Father, fro sa?" (But Father, why me?) 

Cid laughed. "Palyica, oui yna dra uha uv dra pacd vekrdanc eh Home. Yht oui lyh cbayg cusa English, cu oui femm hud cdnikkma duu silr eh Spira. Pacetac, ed femm pa kuut vun oui." (Because, you are the one of the best fighters in Home. And you can speak some English, so you will not struggle too much in Spira. Besides, it will be good for you.) _Also,_ he thought sarcastically, _You'll have a better chance of surviving with Ku than anyone else…_

"Veha," he said. "E femm ku." (Fine, I will go.) 

"Good!" Cid said loudly, not bothering to speak in Al Bhed. "You better practice some of that English, boy, cause you'll be needin' it. Let's go meet your Summoner then!" 

"…Yes, Father," Brother attempted awkwardly. 

Brother got up and followed his father out of his room. Cid started saying something, but stopped as the bathroom door opened. 

Brother recognized the one that walked out as Ku, the girl who had arrived at Home four weeks ago and had summoned Leviathan. She looked the same, except that her clothes were now similar to that of what a Summoner would wear, and her hair was also done a little differently from what he had seen a few days ago. 

She had on a dark blue shirt held up by four bands of cloth, two around her neck, two around her shoulders. All four bands were tied onto a small gold ring that rested just below her collarbone. The two bands on the shoulders went around the ring and curved down to form the top of the shirt, which then tied around her body. On the top of the shirt was an icicle-like pattern, a light blue color. On her arms were sleeves that were separate from the shirt. They were held on by one belt on each arm, starting at the elbow. The sleeves shared the colors and patterns of the shirt. Ku's stomach was left bare. She also had on a long skirt, a dark blue color like the rest of her costume. It had a small flower emblem going down the side. 

Ku's long black hair hung loosely behind her back except for two thick separate strands. The strands each had two colorful beads strung on them. 

"Um, Cid?" Ku asked. "My stomach feels really bare… and my back too." She turned around, showing that the shirt sunk fairly low in the back. 

"It's the Al Bhed style!" Cid argued. "It'll keep ya cool in the desert." 

"And if I'm in Macalania? Then what?" 

Cid sighed in defeat and walked into his room. Finally, he emerged with two belts and a large bow. Giving them to Ku, he said, "Most Summoners wear a bow somewhere, so you can use that to cover your back." 

The bow had two long strings hanging off of it. Ku tied those around the ring and strung them under her arms. The bow, easily half her size, was surprisingly light. "And the belts?" 

"Put 'em around your stomach. It'll work." 

She glared at him and buckled one around her waist horizontally. She put the second belt on over that diagonally. "…I guess it works." She looked back at the Al Bhed man who had supplied all these things for her. "Um… thanks, Cid." 

He smiled at her. "We got a boat all ready for you two to leave. Why don'tcha go eat something first? You won't get any Al-Bhed cooking for a while." Both Summoner and guardian hastily agreed. 

"So, we're going to be together for a while then, right?" Ku asked the Al Bhed who was now scooping food into his own plate. 

"Yes." He took more food. "You want food?" He talked slowly, as if he was struggling with the words. 

"Oh, sure," she said, not realizing what a pig she was being having eaten so much already. "You don't have to speak English here if you don't want to. I can understand Al Bhed." She walked to him to take her plate. 

"No, I should practice." He started filling a second plate with food and handed it to her. "Sorry, not much left." 

"Um, that's ok," Ku said guiltily. "I ate a little before already." 

"Rikku eats lots." He motioned to the now empty bowl. 

Ku laughed nervously. "This is really good," she said, mouth half-full. Brother nodded his agreement. "So…" she continued, "I guess we go on a boat after this?" 

"Yes. To Besaid." He finished his food and placed his plate down, waiting for Ku. She eventually did the same and the two walked out of the kitchen. 

When they passed his room, Cid yelled to them, "The boat's waitin' out in the harbor. Brother, you know where it is. Be careful out there, ok? I'm expectin' ya both back when it's over!" 

Ku nodded and followed Brother to the lift. At the bottom, the two walked silently out of Home. It was then that she saw the large machina weapon strapped to his back. She held her own scythe tighter. They had to walk for a few minutes before they reached the location of the metal boat. Thankfully, they weren't attacked by any monsters, nor had they encountered any Cactuars. 

"Wow… it's huge!" Ku stood in awe, looking at the boat. It actually would have been like every other boat if it didn't have the massive crane attached to the side. Still, Ku had never been close to any ships, much less on one, so it amazed her. 

Her quiet companion had already boarded the ship and was waving for her to come on. She walked up the platform onto the boat and stood at the side, staring back across the desert. It was strange to her that so much water should be so close to the desert, but Rin had told her that Home was located on Bikanel Island, so water would have been plentiful. 

_Speaking of Rin,_ Ku thought, _maybe we'll see him somewhere. He said he had to leave on some emergency business to one of his shops, so we might be able to meet up with him again._

"Fa yna mayjehk! Dra creb ec tabyndehk!" (We are leaving! The ship is departing!) one of the boatmen yelled. 

The boat shook as it moved, sluggishly making its way out of the harbor. Ku watched as Home got farther and farther away. 

When it was almost out of view, she did the prayer gesture that Cid had taught her and that she had seen often both in Spira and Zanarkand. "Home…" she whispered. "If I don't return, please remember me." 

* * *

_Ok, so I lied in the last chapter. The journey didn't really start. Still… I actually finished this in one day, and it's not 3:30 in the morning!! Woo-hoo for me. It's 2:00 AM now. It took me a whole day. Now I have to do my homework tomorrow… Nooo! Vacation's almost over. ;_; _

Yay! People actually like my O/C's. Makes me happy. ^^ 

And so, the journey starts! I'm going to try to draw Ku with her summoner costume on, since I'm not really good at describing it… much easier to draw it. I might even finish the drawing! ^^ 

Cactuars scare me now. I'm afraid they're going to come after me in my FFX game. All the Cactuars suddenly attack… I'll know why. 

Anyways… Next Chapter: Besaid! And four more cameos! 


	8. Cacty Strikes Again ::Present::

_This chapter's kinda a filler… it's back to the present now! I kind of figured that if I didn't get a chapter in the present in soon, the whole Past/Present concept would just seem pointless. So, this is just for that, really. _

Argg. EzBoard will NOT work for me today. Frustration. On the bright side, there was no more turkey in my food. 

Also, for the story: All the characters in this chapter are speaking Al Bhed. Again, it's too tedious to write it all out and translate it when no one's speaking anything but. 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

Knock. 

"…Brother?" Rikku said hesitantly. She stood in front of the Tech room's door, the blue sphere hidden carefully behind her back. "Are ya in there?" 

Knock. 

The door opened slowly, revealing Rikku's brother on the other side. "What is it this time, Rikku? You know I don't have time for-" His eyes focused on the small green Cactuar doll in her hand. "How did you get that? I thought it was…" He stopped again, the truth finally registering in his mind. "Rikku! Did you go into my room?!" 

Rikku grinned sheepishly at the fuming Brother. "Um… I kinda did… I didn't mean to, really! It's just that… I had to find Cacty, you know?" 

Brother glared at the little doll, which looked back at him innocently. 

Squeak, Cacty said. 

"What?" Rikku asked Cacty. "Oh, yeah! Brother, you almost killed Cacty! He says that he was almost squished by the sphere." A few seconds later, she realized that she had told what she had found and covered her mouth, wide-eyed. 

"Sphere?" Rikku took the blue dome from behind her back and gave it to him. "Aah! You didn't look at it, did you?" 

"Um…" she muttered. "Just… a little. Only the Luca part!" She looked at Brother, who was now examining the sphere. "Ku… I don't really remember her that well. Dad said that she summoned Leviathan and it had something to do with Sinspawn." 

"Yeah," Brother said. "It was two years ago. Sinspawn attacked Home, and she somehow summoned Leviathan and defeated it." He sighed. "I was her guardian…" 

"She said that on the sphere," Rikku stated, receiving a glare from Brother. 

"You shouldn't look at my things like that." 

"Hey!" Rikku exclaimed defensively. "I was just curious! And now I wanna learn more, y'know?" 

Brother threw the sphere gently at her and turned away. 

Squeak squeak, Cacty said angrily as the sphere almost landed on him. 

"There's more on there, if you really want to watch it," Brother said. He resumed what he had been doing before. "Go ahead. It'll be good to see again." 

Rikku smiled widely and shouted happily. "Yay! Brother, you aren't so mean after all!" 

Squeak, Cacty agreed. 

_What is wrong with that doll?_ Brother thought. He tried adamantly to ignore the squeaking. 

"Ok… so then, Cacty, let's watch, ok?" She pressed PLAY. 

* * *

__

And so, Cacty strikes again. 

Short, I know. Sorry bout that. The next chapter will be up soon. It'll be back to the Past. You'll just have to wait to find out what happens in the sphere. So ha ha ha. Ha ha. Ha. Next Chapter: The continuation of Ku's Journey-Besaid! 

Yay. I used another vocabulary word. Adamant. Makes me think of Adamantine. Which then makes me think of monsters from Final Fantasy. I have no life whatsoever. 

It's a bad idea to have a prologue… now when I say "Chapter 7", it's actually Chapter 8 and it gets me confused. ^^;; So from now on, even though it is Chapter 7 because of the prologue, it will say, "Updated: Chapter 8". Ok? Ok. 


	9. Leaves of Besaid ::Past::

_And another chapter is done. This one's longer than the others, to make up for the short Chapter 7. I'm so happy people actually like this story. Makes me happy. Thanks for the reviews too! >^-^< p>Thanks to this story, I can now read some Al Bhed and piece together simple 3-word phrases if I try hard enough. I feel pathetic. _

If the picture link from the last chapter didn't work, you can go to www.stormpages.com/dskatsuki and go to the Art section and find it. 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

The ship had sailed far now, and Bikanel Island was nowhere to be seen. Ku stared down at the waves, parting gently for the giant ship that had invaded their home. Watching the movement of the waves made her think of Leviathan, and in turn, what he had told her. 

_Fate…_ she thought. _Fate is against me, he said. Fate doesn't want me, so Fate will get rid of me…_

She sighed, confused about everything that he had said. It reminded her of the first day she had arrived in Spira, not knowing anything about the new land she was in. Now she was here, on an Al Bhed ship, sailing to Besaid to start her pilgrimage. 

"Ec drec ouin vencd desa uh y creb?" (Is this your first time on a ship?) a voice asked. 

Ku turned, broken out of her reverie. Brother was standing next to her. "Oac, ed ec. E hajan kud y lryhla du ku uh uha eh Zanarkand, pid E ymfyoc fyhdat du." (Yes, it is. I never got a chance to go on one in Zanarkand, but I always wanted to.) She looked back over the side of the ship at the waves. "Oui yna hud cbaygehk English yhosuna?" (You are not speaking English anymore?) 

Brother laughed and faced the deck. "Hu, E drehg E ryja ryt ahuikr bnyldela. Yht Father ec hud rana du clumt sa ypuid ed." (No, I think I have had enough practice. And Father is not here to scold me about it.) 

She had to smile at that. "Oayr," she said, "Cid lyh pa y byeh cusadesac." (Yeah, Cid can be a pain sometimes.) She leaned farther over the side. "Tu dra fyjac ajan syga oui tewwo?" (Do the waves ever make you dizzy?) 

He leaned on the side next to her and looked down. "Hud naymmo, E ryja paah uh syho crebc yht ys icat du dra fyjac. Drao muug jano lyms du sa." (Not really, I have been on many ships and am used to the waves. They look very calm to me.) Brother stood up. "Tu drao syga oui celg?" (Do they make you sick?) 

Ku's eyes were stuck on the waves now. "No…" she said in English, once again lost in thought. "They just… make me think a lot, that's all." 

He turned back to her, trying to figure out what she was thinking and failing miserably. "Ev oui yna denat, oui lyh ku nacd tufhcdyenc. Drana ec y pat dryd ryc paah bnabynat vun oui." (If you are tired, you can go rest downstairs. There is a bed that has been prepared for you.) 

Without looking at him, she said quietly, "Thanks, Brother. I'll go down later." 

He placed his hand on her shoulder, making her finally look at him. "Fa cruimt kad du Besaid dusunnuf sunhehk. E femm fyga oui frah fa ynneja." (We should get to Besaid tomorrow morning. I will wake you when we arrive.) She nodded and smiled at him. "E ys kuehk du ku dymg du cusa uv so vneahtc huf. E femm caa oui dusunnuf drah." (I am going to go talk to some of my friends now. I will see you tomorrow then.) He walked off to a small group of men, leaving Ku alone. 

_Well, he seems nice,_ Ku thought. _At least that part of the pilgrimage will be easy._ She leaned against the railing of the ship and stared out at the vast ocean, resuming her daydream. ****************** 

"Rao, Brother!" (Hey, Brother!) one of the men greeted as Brother walked back towards them. Everyone in the group, excluding Brother, worked on the ship. "Oui yna kuehk du pa fedr dryd kenm vun y frema, nekrd?" (You are going to be with that girl for a while, right?) 

Brother nodded at him. "Yc ran guardian, oac." (As her guardian, yes.) 

"Hah," another chuckled, "Oui yna milgo du ryja y Summoner mega dryd." (You are lucky to have a Summoner like that.) 

"Ev oui ycg sa, E drehg cra ec cdnyhka," (If you ask me, I think she is strange,) said a third. He glanced sideways at the girl who still hadn't moved from her original position. 

"Oayr," said the last of the group. "E sayh, cra zicd lusac uid uv hufrana yht myhtc eh Sanubia Desert. Drah cra cissuhc Leviathan, yht huf cra ec y Summoner." (Yeah, I mean, she just comes out of nowhere and lands in Sanubia Desert. Then she summons Leviathan, and now she is a Summoner.) He adjusted his goggles slightly and waved a hand dismissively at Ku. 

"Cu," said the first, "fryd tu oui drehg uv ran, Brother?" (So, what do you think of her, Brother?) 

"Fryd?" he stuttered. "Uh… E sayh, E ryja hud ghufh ran jano muhk, cu E lyhhud cyo..." (What? Uh… I mean, I have not known her very long, so I cannot say…) He looked distractedly in her direction. 

"Vencd esbnacceuhc, drah! Fryd tet oui drehg uv ran frah oui dymgat du ran?" (First impressions, then! What did you think of her when you talked to her?) 

"Famm, cra caasc hela..." (Well, she seems nice…) 

"Tu oui mega ran?" (Do you like her?) one asked curiously. 

"Mega E cyet, cra caasc hela." (Like I said, she seems nice.) 

"E tu hud drehg ra sayhc dryd geht uv mega," (I do not think he means that kind of like,) another joked. 

Brother turned a deep shade of red. "Cra ec hud naymmo so doba..." (She is not really my type…) 

"Heh, banrrybc Naida ec suna Brother'c doba?" (Heh, perhaps Naida is more Brother's type?) 

At that comment, Brother turned even redder. The others laughed heartily, catching Ku's attention. 

"Dra Summoner ec muugehk drec fyo!" (The Summoner is looking this way!) said the first of the two who disliked her. 

They all looked in her direction. She was staring at them, a somewhat surprised look on her face. She gave a small smile, attempted a wave, and started walking towards the stairs to go downstairs. The group of Al Bhed men didn't move, except for one who waved back at her. 

"Cra muugc jano denat." (She looks very tired.) 

"Oac…" (Yes…) Brother said. _Or maybe, she is just thinking again…_

******************

_**Besaid is not very tolerant to those who do not follow Yevon's teachings.** _

Ku looked over to the blue-haired fayth sitting next to her. He visited her almost every time she was asleep, usually to give her advice, sometimes just to talk. To her, it sometimes seemed as though he was lonely. "Yeah, that's what Cid said. I wonder how they'll be to us?" 

**I am sure they will not send you away. You are a Summoner; they respect that. However, for your guardian…**

Ku cast her eyes to the ground. "I think Brother will be ok." 

**Do not blame the Besaid people. You must understand what Sin has done to them.**

At his Summoner's melancholy look, he continued. 

**Sin destroyed their home, and most of the people living in Besaid now were just children then.**

"Oh," Ku replied, "I understand. I think it's… nice that they're so faithful to Yevon. It's just, what Sin has done to them, to everyone…" 

Leviathan nodded in understanding. He stood up and offered his hand to her. 

**You realize their pain more than most others, and I think they will be kind to you. However, you will have to protect your guardian.**

"I'll try," she said as she took his hand and was pulled up. 

**There is one man there who will be especially difficult. He has indirectly suffered much at the hands of the Al Bhed, and he holds a strong hatred for them. He will be determined to stop you from receiving the fayth of Besaid.**

"He has suffered more than the others, then," she said quietly. "I understand how he feels." 

Leviathan smiled and grasped her shoulder. 

**I am sure you will do well in your journey. You are much stronger than you look… I am glad to be your Aeon.**

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Do I look that weak?" She grinned jokingly and waved Leviathan's hand away. He made a small sound that was reminiscent of a laugh, something he had not done for many centuries. 

**It seems you have arrived at Besaid. I believe your guardian is calling to you.**

Leviathan placed two of his fingers on Ku's forehead. She felt herself drifting away, slowly being forced back into reality. 

******************

"Ku! Fa ryja ynnejat eh Besaid. Fyga ib!" (Ku! We have arrived at Besaid. Wake up!) Brother shouted as he shook the sleeping form. It didn't move. "Tu oui naymmo cmaab drec taabmo?" (Do you really sleep this deeply?) He shook her again. 

"Unhh…" Ku mumbled incoherently. "Nn…" 

Brother sighed. He started to say something softly, a blue light starting to glow above the Summoner's head. The light became solid, forming water, which then proceeded to drop onto her head. 

"Blech!" she sputtered, jumping out of the bed. "Brother, what was that?!" She shook her head, water flying everywhere. 

"Water spell," he said as he unsuccessfully suppressed his laughter. "Very useful." 

"Hmph," she said. Ku wrung out her hair and kept glaring at Brother. _Have to learn magic to get him back for that…_ she noted silently. 

"We go now." He started to walk out the door, Ku following closely behind. They went down the plank that connected the ship to the Besaid dock, a few of the boatmen their goodbyes to them. 

Ku stepped onto the warm golden sand. "It's kinda like Home, don't you think?" she asked her guardian, who was looking curiously at their surroundings. 

"Oac," he said. 

She turned to him. "You should probably speak English around here, just in case." 

"…Yes." 

"Well," she said, walking towards the jungle part of Besaid, "I'll do most of the talking, ok? Just try not to talk too much and don't look people in the eyes." She looked down at his oil-stained clothes and tattoos. "Er… I think you look a little too Al-Bhed though…" 

Brother looked at her in confusion, at which she pointed to his clothes. He nodded and brushed them absentmindedly with his hand. 

"Let's try to enjoy ourselves, alright? It's a really pretty island. I like it here." They were standing before the path that led to Besaid Village. Ku reached up and pulled one of the massive green leaves from the tree nearest to them, folded the leaf up, and put it in the small pouch she had around her waist. She had added the accessory to the costume herself. "Souvenir," she stated to Brother. 

He gave her an odd look then saw a round object fly towards them. It would have hit Ku, had he not caught it. A small child with brown hair and dark amber skin ran across the path, searching for it. 

"Huh?" the child said as he saw the Summoner and her guardian. "Hey! You're a Summoner, right?" He pointed to the ball that Brother was holding. "Can we have our blitzball back?" 

"Sure," Ku said. She turned her head to Brother, who threw the ball back to the child. "Which way is it to the village?" 

The small boy pointed to a path to their left that led up to a higher level. "It's up that-a-way! It'll be the road in the middle!" 

Ku smiled and bowed to the boy. "Thank you." 

"Everyone in the village will be so happy to see you! They've been waiting for a Summoner to defeat Sin. You should hurry up and see them!" He giggled and started to run off. "Bye bye, Lady Summoner!" He disappeared from view. 

"Come on, Brother, we have to get to Besaid!" Ku started to walk up the path with Brother behind her. 

It was bright and sunny on Besaid Island today. Very few fiends were on the road today, and the ones that did attack the pair were weak and easily dealt with. Even Ku was able to take out one or two of them with her scythe, although she relied quite heavily on Brother's firepower and magic. She decided that it was unnecessary to summon Leviathan, not only because the fiends were weak, but also because the island was fairly small and would have been flooded with water. 

After a short walk, they reached the entrance to the tiny village. As they approached it, Ku could see it was made up of no more than seven crudely built houses. A large temple stood at the back, its white stone surface glowing proudly in the hot Besaid sun. A summoning platform was stationed in the center of the village. 

An old woman came to them as they entered. "A Summoner!" she said excitedly. "Everyone, a Summoner has come to Besaid!" 

Ku did the prayer gesture and the villagers returned it. Brother stood stiffly behind her. "I have come to pray to the fayth of Valefor." 

"But of course, Lady Summoner," a man at the front said. "We welcome you warmly to Besaid. Please, we wish both you and your guardian to enjoy yourselves here." 

As they walked through the crowd, a few of the people noticed Brother's obvious Al Bhed origin. A few gasped. "An Al Bhed! What is an Al Bhed doing with the Summoner?" 

"Hey!" A tall man stopped in front of Ku, blocking her path. His flame-shaped red hair was held up by a blue headband, and he was wearing clothes that she had seen a few other Besaidians wearing. "No Al Bhed is gonna get in the temple, ya?" 

_A man who has suffered indirectly at the hands of the Al Bhed,_ Ku remembered. _So this is who Leviathan was talking about._ "We don't want to cause any conflict here. We just want to see the fayth." 

"So that Al Bhed can defile the temple!?" He laughed caustically. "I'm not gonna let you do that." 

"Captain Wakka," another red-haired man wearing the same uniform as the first said. "Do you really think this is a good idea?" 

"I'm not just gonna watch while some sand-blasted grease monkey messes up the temple!" Wakka yelled. "I'm sorry, Lady Summoner, but you gotta understand, ya?" 

Ku bowed her head. "I can sympathize with you, but…" She paused, looking at Brother for something to say. "He's still my guardian. I wish for him to accompany me into the temple." 

"Lady Summoner! He is an Al Bhed! He'll-" 

"Stop, Wakka." A woman wearing a long black dress strode up to them. 

"But, Lu!" 

The black-clad woman cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Let them pass. She is a Summoner. You have no right to stand in her way." 

Most of the villagers had backed off by now, a few shooting glares at Brother. A girl, about 16, and a Ronso stood nearby. "Wakka," the girl said as she walked to him, "let them pass. I think it's nice that she has an Al Bhed for a guardian. They aren't all bad, right?" She turned to Ku and Brother. "My name's Yuna. This is Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri. They will be my guardians when I start my pilgrimage next year. I mean, if you don't beat me to it!" She giggled kindly and started to walk to the temple. "Come to the temple! We can talk more inside." 

Ku walked after her and entered the stone temple. It was large inside as well, and many statues lined the walls of past Summoners. A few statues that stood near the back were even bigger. A tune echoed throughout the building, emitting from a door to the Cloister of Trials. 

"Wow…" Ku said in amazement, taking in the sights around her. "It's beautiful… I've never seen anything like it!" She started to go around the sides of the temple, examining the statues. 

"This is the temple of Valefor," Yuna stated as she walked up behind the two. "It's nice, isn't it?" Ku nodded. "I sometimes like to come here just to sit and listen to the Hymn." 

"The Hymn?" Ku asked. "Is that what the song is?" 

"Yes," Yuna answered. "The fayth sings it." 

"Oh…" Ku wondered if Leviathan could sing like that. She decided to ask him later. Brother leaned over and whispered something in her ear. "What? Oh, ok. Yuna? Brother wants to know if you are daughter of High Summoner Braska." 

"Yes, I am. My father defeated Sin ten years ago." 

Brother pointed at Yuna. "You are… cousin." 

At Yuna's puzzled look, Ku continued for him. "His father is a man named Cid, the leader of the Al Bhed. I had heard that Cid's sister married Lord Braska, so that means you two are cousins, I guess." She paused. "Wait… that means, you're half-Al Bhed, right?" 

"Yes. Unfortunately, Wakka doesn't really like the Al Bhed, so I have to keep it a secret. I'm sorry for what he did earlier." 

Ku waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll get that a lot during our pilgrimage, so it's a good way to get prepared. So have you met Cid?" 

The girl shook her head. "I have never actually met my uncle, but my mother said that if I ever needed help, to go and seek him. It's nice to be able to meet one of my cousins." Brother grinned. "Well, I guess I shouldn't stall you any longer. You should hurry and see the Fayth! Come!" 

Yuna ran up to the priest blocking the stairway to the Cloister of Trials. After briefly talking to him, they appeared to have reached an agreement and the man moved to the side. Yuna ran back to Ku and Brother. 

"He says you can pass. I must return to the village now and do some more of my Summoner training. Good luck!" She walked quickly out of the temple. 

"She was nice," Ku said. "You're lucky to have her as your cousin." She started up the stairs to the large door before her. "Let's go, Brother! To the Cloister of Trials!" She pushed the door open, revealing a dark passageway. She and her guardian entered and the door shut loudly behind them. 

* * *

_Another chapter done, this time in 2 days. It's 11:10 right now, and vacation is OVER. ::sob sob:: I have to sleep semi-early now. I probably won't update as much anymore, but I'll try to write a chapter a week. _

Look, no Cactuars at all in this chapter. Hahaha. 

::can't think of anything else to pointlessly blabber about:: Next Chapter: Inside the Cloister of Trials, and probably some more. ^^ 


	10. A Traitor of Yevon ::Past::

_Everyone likes Leviathan so much. Hee hee. I think he's happy. I actually hadn't planned for him to be in my story too much, but I might decide to change that. ^^ _

Thanks again for all the reviews! I'm glad I'm actually getting them, and the fact that people like the story… makes me feel all warm and squishy inside. (Ano… sounds like my insides are melting.) 

I really didn't feel like describing the Cloister of Trials that much… sorry 'bout that. 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

"Hmm…" Ku said as she examined the foreign glyph on the wall in the back of the stone corridor. "Wonder what this is." 

"You touch it," Brother said bluntly. 

Ku backed away from the wall instinctively. "No. I am not touching anymore walls." Brother gave her the strange look that she had been getting a lot lately. "Every wall I've touched has messed something up. First, I touch a wall in Zanarkand, and I end up in Spira. I touch another wall in Home and I find Leviathan. I am not touching the wall." She pointed to the wall in question. "You touch it." 

Brother shook his head and placed his hand on the wall. The green glyph glowed brightly and disappeared. The symbols to their right started to emit the same eerie glow. 

Ku pointed to those and Brother touched them. The wall seemed to crack open, unveiling a staircase and a small blue sphere, which she picked up gently, its cold touch almost soothing. 

They eventually came to a thick granite door with a small hole in the middle. Brother imitated pushing an object into it. Ku stuck the sphere in, opening the door. 

They passed through, and Brother grabbed the sphere at the last minute. The two found another recess in the wall, and the sphere fit nicely into it. Another corridor was behind it, and at the end was yet another sphere, this time a light green. 

Finally, it appeared they had reached the end. A pedestal sat at the end with a slot for a sphere. Ku put it in, but nothing happened. 

"Um… Brother? What do I do now?" He walked around it, checking for some kind of switch or button. Finding none, he grunted and shrugged. "Hmm…" Looking farther, she noticed a dent in the ground. "Maybe it should go in there?" 

Ku tried to push the large object, but it didn't budge. Brother sighed as he watched his somewhat pathetically weak Summoner. Gingerly pushing her to the side, he started moving the pedestal to the place she had pointed out. Ku followed him. 

When the pedestal had fallen into place, it sank into the ground and a platform raised up in its place. 

"I guess we should get on it then," Ku stated obviously. They both got on and the platform started to rise. 

At the top was a circular room. Statues lined the walls, and a great stone door stood at its end, leading to the Chamber of the Fayth. 

"I wait," Brother said slowly. He went over to the door to the chamber and leaned against the wall to rest. Ku nodded to him and continued to the chamber. 

The first thing she noticed after she had walked past the transparent pink leaves was how loud the hymn had become. Its loud melody resonated through the room, and it almost seemed to sink into her skin to her bones. A few hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she kneeled down to pray. 

_Cid said you pray to the fayths,_ she thought. _You ask it to help you on your pilgrimage. I hope…_

_**What is it that you wish for, Summoner?**_

Ku looked up in surprise and stood. A woman in a long robe floated above the relic of Valefor, her pigtails resting lightly on her back. The Summoner realized then how different this fayth was from Leviathan. They each had a manner all their own and held themselves so differently. Valefor was calm and gentle, a kindness vibrating off of her. Leviathan also felt calm to an extent, but you could always feel a sort of longing around him, a different feeing that had long been hidden away. 

"I want to ask you to help me on my pilgrimage. To grant me your power." 

_**I sense that there are many reasons for this. **_

Ku averted her eyes from the fayth. "Yes…" The fayth reached one arm out to her, holding it in place, and closed her eyes. 

_**I see. You believe you are from Zanarkand…**_

"Valefor," she implored. "Please tell me… what happened to Zanarkand? You, as a fayth, must know…" 

The woman turned her back to her. 

_**…Zanarkand is a city destroyed 1000 years ago by Sin. All that is left is a city of ruin, a… dream. **_

"A dream?" 

_**I will grant you my power. You will find the answer yourself, I am sure. **_

Valefor floated down to Ku and wrapped one hand around Ku's wrist. Valefor was about to bestow her power to the Summoner when a blue light appeared and threw Valefor away from her. 

_**That is… Leviathan?! Why do you have that… heathen with you? **_

_So he is not liked even by the aeons…_ Ku thought. "Yes, Leviathan is with me… He joined me in Home. Please… he has been kind to me and hasn't done anything wrong. Don't think badly of him…" 

The shocked aeon looked at her. She sighed and walked back to Ku. 

_**It is strange to find a Summoner of your kind. Not only do you fight for the Al Bhed who defy Yevon's teachings, you travel with a forbidden Aeon… many look down on people like you, yet you still continue. For that, I will watch over you. I give you my power, Summoner. **_

Ku performed the prayer gesture. "Thank you," she said. She walked back to the exit and had parted the leaves when she heard Valefor say one last comment. 

_**Be careful, Summoner. Yevon does not look kindly upon traitors like you. **_

Ku swallowed tensely and exited the Chamber of the Fayth. 

* * *

_"The green glyph glowed…" Hee. I'm even using alliteration. _

I'm wearing a beret and a tube scarf right now from my friend who went to France. I'm thinking of wearing it to flute lessons, just so everyone can stare. ^^ 

Decided to make it short this time, just cause I feel like I should update again. This seems like a fairly good place to end. Valefor sounds too… Valefor-y. (…I am so horrible with adjectives.) 


	11. The People of Besaid ::Past::

_Another chapter, finally. It's taken me a while, but at least it's done. My chapters will probably stay fairly short. _

I changed Ku's character design… the hair and stuff, I mean. If you actually saw my pic of her, it wasn't that good… so I'm gonna draw a new one that's more accurate. And it'll be one that I like. I think I'm going to have Ku cut her hair, just because I think short hair suits her better. Though I doubt any of you actually care… ^^ 

I procrastinate too much. I have to do my homework after this… 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

Ku stretched her arms out in the Besaidian sun, still hot even when setting. She suppressed a yawn with her hand and soaked up the warmth emitting from the sun. Brother stood beside her as usual, his calm demeanor unwavering. The two had just gotten back out of the Cloister of Trials and into Besaid Village. 

"We rest?" Brother asked as he turned to her. "It… is late." 

Ku shook her head. "I want to look around the village a little first," she said. "We have to find a way off of the island anyways. Then we can rest." She walked down the stone steps onto the grassy land, towards the shop next to the Summoning platform. Turning to her guardian, she motioned for him to come over. They entered the shop. 

A young woman behind the counter greeted them. She wore a long sleeveless yellow dress with a white pattern lining the sides. "Hello!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Can I help you?" 

Ku fingered a small glass bottle that held a liquid tinged with blue. "Yes," she said. "We need some supplies for our pilgrimage." 

The shopkeeper clapped in delight. "I think we have just what you're looking for!" She pointed to the item Ku was holding. "That's a Potion, which I highly recommend for your journey. They recover fatigue, you know? But sleep is a much better remedy if you're really tired!" She picked up another bottle with a reddish-orange feather inside. "This is a Phoenix Down. You'll definitely need this! It heals just about any wound, no matter how bad it is! Some people say it can revive the dead, even!" She eagerly handed the bottle to Brother. "Hmm…" She took a third bottle from the shelf behind her. "This is an Antidote!" She shook the green bottle excitedly. "You'll need this for sure," she said gravely. Then, in a burst of enthusiasm, "Lord Ochu'll poison you for sure! So buy it! Very useful in Kilika, I'm sure of it!" 

Ku looked at the three bottles sitting on the counter in front of her. "I'll take… five Potions, two Antidotes, and two Phoenix Downs." 

The woman nodded quickly and whipped around to grab the required items for the Summoner. She placed all nine bottles on the wooden counter in one rapid movement. "That'll be 550 Gil!" 

"Gil?" Ku asked. 

"That's the money, you know? You can get them from the monsters around here and everywhere else. Not really sure where they get it from… You do have some, right?" 

"Oh, right." Ku fumbled through the accessory bag at her side. They had picked up some Gil from the fiends around Besaid. Ku, unfamiliar with the currency in Spira, slowly picked out a few of the shiny gold coins, hoping it was the right amount. "Here." She dropped them into the woman's outstretched hand. 

Quickly counting the coins, the shopkeeper smiled and pushed the bottles to Ku. "Alrighty! Here you go! Have a nice day!" She started searching for something behind her, and Ku and Brother left. 

The sun had almost completely set, and a huge bonfire was lit on the Summoning Circle. Many villagers were standing around, talking to friends or discussing the tasks of the day. 

"So," Ku said, facing Brother, "we just have to find a way to Kilika." She looked around to the surrounding people and saw a recognizable face. "Maybe Yuna'll know." 

As they approached the young Summoner-in-training, some of the citizens around her spat insults at the Al Bhed guardian. 

"You heathen!" an old woman croaked. "Stay away from Lady Yuna!" 

A little girl ran up to them. "You're a bad man!" she shouted as she pointed to Brother, and then ran back to the others. 

Yuna stood up and shook her head at the villagers. She started to walk towards Ku and Brother. "Sorry about that, again…" 

Ku, like before, waved it off. "Don't worry about it." She patted her guardian on the shoulder. "He's probably used to it." Brother simply nodded. "Oh, Yuna, there's something we'd like to ask you." 

"What is it?" 

"Do you know a way off of the island? To Kilika?" 

"Let me think," Yuna said thoughtfully. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, there's a blitzball tournament in Luca, isn't there? A ship will be leaving tomorrow from the dock." She pointed to the entrance of Besaid Village. "Wakka and the other Besaid Aurochs will be on that ship. It stops at Kilika first, and you can switch to the S. S. Winno there. That one goes to Luca." 

"We could take that," Ku said, nodding. She turned back to Yuna. "Thanks, Yuna!" 

Yuna laughed and bowed. "You should probably get some rest. The Crusaders Lodge is right next to the temple. You can sleep there." She pointed to a long blue tent and gave the Summoner and the guardian a prayer gesture. "I wish you luck on your journey." 

Ku returned the action, then turned to Brother. "I guess we should go…" They walked to the lodge recommended by Yuna and entered. 

"Hello," said the innkeeper. "Would you like to stay for the night?" His eyes wandered to the boy standing behind the Summoner. "A-An Al Bhed! Lady Summoner? Why are you keeping company with someone like him?!" He frantically looked back and forth between the Summoner and the guardian. 

"This Al Bhed is my guardian," Ku answered. "We would like a place to stay for the night." Her hands gripped the edge of the counter. 

"I will not allow an Al Bhed to stay at this inn!" the man said firmly. He slammed his hand against the countertop, making Ku flinch. 

"Come now," a voice interrupted. "This is the Crusaders Lodge. All are welcome. Including Al Bhed." The last part was emphasized. 

A red haired man wearing some kind of battle uniform walked to the group. Another followed him, this man a brunette wearing a similar uniform. 

"My name is Luzzu," the red-headed one introduced. "And this,"-he motioned to the other-"is Gatta. I'm sorry for the inconvenience the innkeeper has caused you, Lady Summoner. You can stay here as long as you wish." 

"B-but, Luzzu!" the innkeeper stuttered. "He is-" 

"A person just like anyone else who comes here," Luzzu finished. "I think us Crusaders should have a say in who stays at our lodge." 

"Um," Ku said uncertainly, "A Crusader?" 

"Hmm?" Luzzu looked at her oddly. "You must know what a Crusader is." 

She tried out the excuse that Cid had told her of. "I… got near Sin. I haven't fully recovered yet." 

"Ah." He performed the prayer gesture. "Let us pray to Yevon that you get well quickly. As for your previous question-" 

"Luzzu, sir!" Gatta shouted. "Please let me explain to them." At Luzzu's approval, he continued, "We Crusaders have been fighting Sin for thousands of years. Our sole purpose is to defeat Sin!" He raised a fist to his chest in salute. 

Luzzu nodded. "Unfortunately, we have not succeeded… There is a new operation in planning right now. It will be our biggest attack yet. I am afraid that I cannot tell you about it…" He paused and looked at the exit of the inn. "Ah, Gatta, we must go. If you'll excuse us, Lady Summoner, we must leave now. I wish you well on your journey." He and Gatta walked swiftly out the door. 

"Uh," the innkeeper muttered hesitantly, "The beds are in the back. Please enjoy your stay." He turned his back to them, shaking his head. 

"Well," Ku said, making her way to the back of the lodge, "I guess we'd better get some rest." 

"Yes," Brother replied. He chose a small bed in the back and pressed its soft mattress down. Looking satisfied, he got into the bed. Ku did the same to the bed next to his. 

"Good night," she mumbled as she closed her eyes. 

Some calm breaths were her only reply. 

* * *

_I hate that ending. So… dull. Oh well. It'll work for now. ^^;; _

Aah… memories of the kind people of Besaid. Always screaming insults at you and everything. Highly entertaining. 

The Besaid shopkeeper sounds like someone from Harvest Moon. ^^ 

Arg, it's 8:30. I have to write about my 'Favorite Place' now. I don't have one. I think I'll just write about my room. I feel really boring, everyone else had some kind of swamp or garden or something as their favorite place. I have a room. Or maybe the spot in front of the TV that my PS2 is hooked up to. ^^ 


	12. Valefor's Pain ::Past::

_Another chapter. More about Leviathan's past too. Not exactly the greatest right now, but it'll be developed more later. _

I bet that no one has noticed this, but… in each of the * things that separate the parts? There are 18 * in each one! Ha! 

Snow day today! Of course, it would be the day that the History project is due. And the History project had to be the one I spent hours doing the night before and rushed on until 12:30 in the morning. Oh well. Now I can fix its messiness. And I got to watch G Gundam at 12. 

Just out of curiosity (though I think I already know…), who's your favorite character in KnK? Original character or otherwise, doesn't matter too much. Although none of the FFX characters play a huge part in this. Don't worry, there'll be more characters coming soon. Four more, to be exact. Not until later, though. ^^ 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou** __

"Can you sing?" Ku looked innocently up at the fayth beside her. "Leviathan?" Leviathan gave her a questioning glance. 

**What do you mean?**

"Yuna told me that the hymns in the temple are sung by the Fayths. So I was just wondering if you could sing too. Like the others." She tugged at the belt holding her sleeve up distractedly. 

**You met Yuna? The daughter of High Summoner Braska?**

"Yes, in Besaid. She seems really nice." She turned her head to the side, away from Leviathan. "I think… if I had been able to stay longer, it would have been nice to talk to her." 

**A Summoner's journey is hard. Not only physically, but also because a Summoner cannot… connect with others. Lady Yuna is very kind and strong. I believe she will become a great Summoner, just like her father.**

"Yeah. I'm kind of hoping to defeat Sin before she becomes one, so she doesn't have to go through the same thing, you know? But…" She struggled for the right words to say. "…I guess that I'm glad she's the one who'd fight Sin after me. If I… fail." 

Ku paused a moment, thought, then quickly faced Leviathan. "You're changing the subject!" she shouted accusingly. "So, can you sing?" 

**I… I cannot.**

Leviathan's words fell short. A look of sadness overcame his face, making Ku feel guilty for whatever she had said to make him feel that way. Still, curiosity had overtaken her, and she wanted to know why he was different from other fayths. 

"I overheard someone in the temple talking. They said that all Fayths were granted the ability to sing the Hymn." She hesitated, then interrogated further. "Why weren't you given the same thing?" 

The fayth stayed silent. He looked so fragile then, his long blue hair hanging down over his lowered face. Two green eyes were half-closed, partly covered by hair. Ku had never really noticed how he looked, and in his current position, she was able to study him more. 

"Hey," she said softly, trying to break the silence. "I never noticed that." Leviathan looked at her peculiarly, to which she answered, "Your ears, I mean." 

He ran his fingers over the length of his ear, much longer than the length of a normal human's. It curved slightly at the tip, and a long chain was bound around the ear. It made him look something like an elf. 

**Oh… this? It was something I received as a Fayth. To… separate me.**

"To separate you from the other Fayths?" 

**Not only them, but all humans. Someone as impure as me cannot be the same as the Yevonites, or so the maesters believed back then.**

A question that had been bothering Ku for a while now resurfaced in her mind. "You say that Yevon forbids you. Valefor calls you a heathen. What makes you so different? Why are you… impure?" 

Another awkward silence ensued. Leviathan shifted nervously. Finally, he shook his head. 

**I did not follow Yevon's teachings. I did things that were… wrong, according to Yevon and his followers. **

"But you still gave your soul to fight Sin?" 

**Yes. After my death, I realized everything I had done was wrong. I wished to repent for my sins, so I became a Fayth. They would not take me as a true Fayth because of my acts, so I became the forbidden Aeon, Leviathan.**

Ku grabbed the Fayth's long sleeve and shook her head in protest. "But you gave your soul for them! How could they reject you like that?" She sighed. "Yevon is nothing but empty teachings for people to be tricked by. In reality, they mean nothing…" 

Leviathan reached down and held her shoulders. 

**Yevon gives them something to believe in. The people of Spira truly believe that they will be able to atone for their sins. In that way, Yevon is good.**

"But-" 

**No. You do not know my story yet. Until you have seen that, you cannot judge Yevon or myself. **

He led her over to a picture that had materialized next to them. It was the same one he had shown her the first time they had met. The young girl still sat in the corner alone while other children ran around the room she occupied. 

**You remember this, correct? At one time in my life, I was the one who caused these things to happen.**

Ku looked at the tall man in shock. Meanwhile, a boy ran up to the young girl in the picture. The boy said something, to which the girl replied. Afterwards, the boy ran away, and the girl returned to staring out of the window. 

"Stop showing me this! I don't want to remember it. And don't say you caused it… because…" 

**You do not want to know of me as the one who could have brought you sadness?**

Ku started to back away from Leviathan, who stood, unmoving. "No…" She turned and started to run. 

**Ku! You cannot run from it forever. You will have to confront it in the end.**

"No," Ku mumbled. "I'm not… I'm not running away!" She gripped her head and fell to the ground. She felt herself falling farther and farther away, until all she could see was a fading blue light, alone in the darkness. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable to happen. 

******************

Brother shifted in his bed to the side. He saw Ku, his Summoner, in the bed next to his. Her eyes were shut tightly together, and a few beads of sweat were running down her face. She appeared to be having a nightmare. 

He had never been good at comforting people, so Brother simply laid there, watching her. Her usual calm visage was twisted into a painful grimace. Studying her features more, he started thinking about what his father had told him. 

It had been a few years ago when they had had their discussion. Brother had asked about his aunt, Nasu. She had married Lord Braska, once an old friend of Cid's and the father of Lady Yuna. 

"My sister loved Braska a lot," Cid had said. "But she was blinded by her love and started to follow Yevon with 'im!" 

"What did you do?" Brother had asked. 

"Had no choice but to exile her and Braska from Home. The rest of the Al Bhed come first, even before family." He had looked sad for a moment, then had shouted, "There's an important lesson in this, boy!" 

Brother had given his father a perplexed look. "What lesson, Father?" 

"Don't you ever go fallin' in love with those Summoners, ya hear? They'll only make ya sad in the end. Not just you, either. All the people 'round ya too…" 

Brother glanced back at his Summoner. She was breathing calmly again, and she looked content. He guessed that by most people's standards, she would be considered attractive. To him, she seemed pretty ordinary, nothing special compared to some of the Al Bhed women he had seen before. Besides, the serene attitude she displayed wasn't his type at all. He liked the outgoing kind. Ku was more like another little sister to him than anything else. 

Brother rolled over to face the wall on his right. He closed his eyes, silently hoping to reach the Calm Lands soon. _Maybe I can convince Naida to come with us to Zanarkand…_ He fell asleep again, a hint of a smile on his face. 

******************

Ku opened her eyes to a tall sloping ceiling. She puzzled over it for a minute in her half-asleep state, still not completely used to waking up in new territory. Besaid was much different than Zanarkand; not only did it have no technology, the temperature was a huge change as well. 

She hastily sat up in the comfortable bed, memories of the last time she had woken up in the Al Bhed salvage ship invading her head. Looking around her, she saw Brother still sleeping peacefully in his own bed. 

Getting up and walking over to his bed, she muttered, "You're lucky I don't know any magic… I'd use a lot more than a water spell." She smirked at the malicious thought and resorted to shaking him instead. 

"Errh…" Brother groaned. He rolled around, his back to Ku. 

"Wake up, Brother," she said, now poking him. "It's time to get up. The ship is going to leave without us!" 

Brother cracked one green swirled eye open. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, grunted, and stood. "We go," he slurred, in the same half-asleep condition as Ku. He picked up his machina gun and handed the scythe next to it to his Summoner. 

"Alright," she said as she took the weapon. They thanked the innkeeper, who looked at them warily, and left the Crusaders Lodge. 

Outside, they heard clapping. It wasn't directed towards them, however. Most of the villagers were gathered near the entrance of Besaid, where a group of men were standing and cheering, all wearing the same uniform. Among them was the red-haired man they had met yesterday, Wakka. They walked up to the crowd and found Yuna, Lulu, and Kimahri. 

"What are they cheering about?" Ku asked. 

"Those are the Besaid Aurochs," Lulu explained. "Wakka is their captain. They've never won a game, yet they still bother going to Luca for the tournament. It surprises me sometimes, but I almost envy them." 

"Aren't you going?" Ku gestured to the three, to which Yuna shook her head. 

"I must continue my training this year," Yuna continued for her future guardian. "We've all gone to Luca before, and we'll get to go next year, so it's not too bad." She thought, then said, "You're going on the same boat as them, right? You should hurry." 

The Besaid Aurochs were starting to walk down the path to the beach. Ku nodded to Yuna, and then she and Brother followed the blitzball team. 

"Ku!" Yuna shouted. "There's a statue farther down the road. If you're leaving the island, you should pray there for a safe trip." She waved and performed the prayer gesture. "Good luck!" 

Ku waved back and returned the gesture. "Well," she said to Brother, "I guess we should pray there, just in case." 

They didn't have to worry much about any fiends, as Wakka killed most of them with his blitzball. The ones that did get past them were easy to defeat, and Ku was able to take most of them out with her scythe. Brother had to use his gun as a club instead; every time he shot his weapon, he received an insult from one of the Aurochs. 

A few minutes later, a large stone came into view. It was the statue that Yuna had mentioned. 

"Alright, boys," Wakka said, "Betta' pray here before we leave, ya?" He proceeded to kneel down and pray, and the rest of the team followed suit. Ku and Brother did the same. 

When they were done, the Besaid Aurochs stood up. "What's our goal?!" Wakka shouted. 

"To do our best!" 

Brother shook his head and muttered, "Dryd ec draen vencd secdyga... Hu fuhtan drao yna cilr y pyt days." (That is their first mistake… No wonder they are such a bad team.) 

"Brother!" Ku hissed quietly. "Pa xiead!" (Be quiet!) 

It was too late. Wakka had heard the two's conversation. "You two talkin' 'bout us? In Al Bhed, too, ya?" He scoffed at them and waved for his team to keep going. He glanced back at the Summoner before going too. 

Ku sighed miserably. "We have to spend a whole day on a ship with them… We should try to get along, ok, Brother?" He tilted his head and gave a resentful nod. 

They started to run after the group of men who were now pretty far ahead. The crashing of water reached their ears, and looking around, Ku could see several huge waterfalls around them. 

"Wow…" she whispered. "Never thought I'd see something like this…" Brother seemed as enraptured by the sight as she was. Suddenly, a scream came from the end of the path. 

Running to the source of the sound, they saw a group of Condors attacking the Besaid Aurochs. Wakka was doing well fending off one of them, but the other two were free to attack. 

Brother unhooked his large machina gun from the strap on his back and aimed for one of the birds that was ready to claw at the group. A ball of fire exploded from the barrel and flew towards the Condor, effectively knocking it from the air. Wakka saw where the shot had come from, slapped his forehead with his hand, and ran to the fallen Condor to finish it off. The other Aurochs had backed off and were trying to make a break for the beach, which was just around the corner. 

Ku gripped her scythe tightly. She was about to summon Leviathan, when she remembered the night's events. _I can't summon him… not after what he told me… Valefor can take care of this._ She held her weapon up and started her summoning dance for the new Aeon. 

A large bird-like figure flew down from the sky. It preened its red and purple feathers, and Ku pet it gently on the head. The feeling she got from this Aeon was so different from Leviathan, and it made her uncomfortable. Shaking her thoughts away, she pointed to the Condors and Valefor glided over to them. 

"Valefor, I hope you can do this…" Because this was her first time calling the Aeon, she had no idea how far its power extended. She could only hope it was enough to defeat two Condors. 

Valefor clawed at one of the Condors, but it jumped back quickly, dodging the attack. The second Condor, to whom Valefor's back was turned, jumped at the chance. It dove for the Aeon and managed to scratch it. Valefor turned around instinctively and chased after the monster until it stopped. It grabbed the Condor's face and clamped its claws around its head. The other monster tried to attack, but another shot from Brother knocked it away. Wakka, having killed the third Condor, started throwing his blitzball at this one. 

Valefor was relentless in his attack against the Condor. Ku watched, gaping, as it tightened its grip on the fiend's head and finally let go. The Condor fell to the ground, but it was miraculously still alive with only one wing broken. In an act of fury, it used its last surge of strength to run to the flying Aeon. It jumped up and grabbed its leg in its large beak and bit down forcefully. 

Valefor shook it off frantically, and fell to the ground with the Condor. Ku felt a twinge of pain shoot up her leg, and she cried out as it gave way on her. Valefor was being attacked mercilessly by the Condor, and the monster dug its beak into the Aeon's side. Valefor shrieked as it faded and disappeared back into the heavens. 

Brother quickly got up and started to run towards the Condor, which had turned its attention to his fallen Summoner. He raised his gun to his eye as the Condor started its flight to its prey. He urgently pulled the trigger and saw the shot fly towards the Condor. At the last moment, the Condor managed to pull itself to the side quickly enough to dodge the shot. Brother stopped in shock. "Cred! KU!" 

Ku watched as the machina shot flew past the Condor, missing it by a few meters. A blitzball flew in their direction and hit the monster, but it ignored it. Ku felt her leg, which still hurt from Valefor's injury, and made it impossible for her to move. She shut her eyes, waiting for the impact of the Condor's claws against her body. She waited… but nothing came. 

Letting one eye open, she saw that everything had a bluish tint. She realized that a barrier of water was surrounding her. Outside of her blockade, the Condor was being attacked by a large sea serpent-Leviathan. 

Ku silently cursed for letting herself get saved again by her guardian Aeon. Even after what he had said to her, she still couldn't get by without him. She felt a wave of frustration wash over her while Leviathan killed the Condor, which exploded into pyreflies. A few gold objects dropped down as well. 

The barrier of water disappeared with a swish of the Aeon's tail. He looked towards Ku, who avoided his gaze. Brother reached them and kneeled down next to her. 

"Ku?" he asked immediately. "You are ok?" He was taken aback by the tears that were starting to streak down her face. "Ku…" He looked up at the Aeon. "Fryd tet oui tu du ran?!" (What did you do to her?!) 

The Aeon gave him a sad look and shook its large head. Brother was amazed at its intelligence and gentleness. He turned back to Ku, who looked up at him. 

She wiped away the tears quickly and said, "I'm… fine. Cunno…" Then she fell against Brother's chest, unconscious. 

The Aeon hastily moved forwards, but stopped when the guardian shook his head at him. "E femm dyga lyna uv ran. Tu hud funno." (I will take care of her. Do not worry.) He picked up Ku in his arms, her head still resting against his chest, and stood up. 

The Aeon gave a slight nod and faded away into the pendant around Ku's neck. Brother sighed, then started walking towards the Besaid Aurochs. 

When he reached them, a few of them inched away. 

"You… you understand that thing, ya?" Wakka said in astonishment. His expression grew serious again. "But dat was a forbidden aeon, ya? What you two doin' with it?" 

Brother cursed silently and shook his head in exasperation. "Boat is waiting," he said plainly. "We leave." He walked past the group of blitzers, who parted for him and the Summoner. 

He glanced down at Ku, who was still asleep. _Ku… I only hope you are ok…_

* * *

_I wanted to go a little farther in this chapter, but it's taken me hours to write this and I have to write about a Childhood Memory for school. So I'll just expand the next chapter. ^^ _

Y'know what I realized? If you translate 'Rose' into Al Bhed, and keep translating the Al Bhed translation to Al Bhed, you eventually get back to Rose. Works with 'Cid' too. And 'exactly'. Works with anything, really. I thought that was interesting. 

…I have no life. 

Kinda hard not to notice elf ears on a Fayth… Maybe that was a little extreme. I want to draw a picture of Leviathan. A nice, attractive picture of him, maybe? But I'm not really sure what to do for it… I mean, just having him stand there looking pretty isn't very interesting… 

I dunno bout you people, but Valefor was always sooooo weak when I used it. It kept dying on me. ;_; I started to use it as a one shot thing: use an Overdrive, let it get killed, end. Sigh... 

Next Chapter: S. S. Liki and Kilika! Possibly an actual battle, too. ^^ 


	13. Irony ::Past::

_Sorry for the late update; too much homework and sad attempts to improve my drawing have kept me from writing. Of course, laziness and a little game called Xenogears might have had something to do with it too… _

For anyone who's wondering, "Kirei na Kanjou" translates to "Pure Emotions" or "Beautiful Feelings" or something like that. I actually don't know any Japanese (except for the simple words that I've learned from anime and manga…). You can find a translation of "Kirei na Kanjou" (which is a song from Noir_) at www.animelyrics.com _

Leviathan seems to be the favorite character of most people… I guess I have to include him more in my story then. Oh, since I keep forgetting, I should probably put it here. The aeon form of Leviathan is taken from Leviathan in FFVIII (the attack, appearance, etc.), and I take no credit for it. Fayth-Leviathan is mine. All mine. Kakakaka. ^-^ 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

_Ku didn't face him. She couldn't, not after everything he had said, everything he claimed to have done. Most of all, she couldn't get over the fact that he had still protected her, even when she wouldn't summon him. _

"Why did you help me?" she asked, her back still to the Fayth. "I didn't… need it, you know." 

Leviathan laughed quietly, not the laugh that he had been doing recently, but a cynical laugh. It reminded her of the man she had met in Zanarkand the day she had been brought to Spira. 

**Do you really believe you would have made it out alive?**

She almost turned around, but stopped herself. She couldn't think of anything to say to the intimidating presence behind her. "…Yes." 

**You do not put up a very convincing argument. Did you know that Condors are very independent creatures? They never attack in groups.**

"What are you saying? That they just happened to join together to attack us?" 

**To attack you, maybe. Fate will alter many things to get to you.**

Ku started picking at a loose thread on her sleeve to keep herself occupied. She wished that Leviathan couldn't see her anytime he wanted, that she could have some privacy. That way, he wouldn't be able to always tell her things that she didn't want to hear. But it was impossible. 

She tried to change the subject instead. "Why do you want to see me all the time? Don't you think that I just want to sleep once in a while?" 

**You are sleeping. This is simply… a dream.**

She threw her arms to the sides, upset. "Maybe I don't want to dream! Maybe I… maybe I just want to sleep…Dreamless sleep…" 

He turned around to her back and shook his head sadly. 

**You are going to have to accept your dreams. You and dreams are more closely related than you might think.**

Ku spun around to meet the Fayth's eyes. "What?" 

He laughed, kinder this time, like one would laugh around a child. He bent down so he was eye-level with her. 

**I do not think you should know yet… not until you have gone farther in your journey. You should not be hindered by what little I know about you.**

Ku sighed, then nodded to Leviathan. He seemed to know a lot more about things than he would reveal, and she knew better than to pry. Still, sometimes she just wanted him to share everything he knew to her. Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Leviathan answered. 

**Please understand, Ku. It is not that I do not want you to know. It is just better this way.**

"I understand," she said. "But, I want to know more…" She paused momentarily. "…about you. About your story." 

The Fayth looked surprised, then relieved. He nodded, then made one last comment before sending her back to reality. 

**I will tell you more of my story. But that is for another day…**

******************

Ku woke up to find herself staring at a ceiling made up of wooden planks. The bed rocked slowly back and forth, the same effect she got when she was on the Al Bhed salvage ship. 

Sitting up, she could clearly see her surroundings from the bed in the corner. The room was empty. A few bags of luggage were scattered around, most of them holding just a few necessities. A few of the planks on the floor were cracked or curved upwards in their old age, and the boat creaked unsteadily with each movement. Looking out of the window, Ku could see a wide blue ocean. There was no land anywhere in sight. 

She tried to get off the bed when she felt a stinging in her upper right leg which kept her from moving farther. Memories of the day before and the attack of the Condors returned to her, and she remembered the injury Valefor had received. She had realized long ago that Aeons and Summoners shared some sort of bond, but she had never imagined that it would even allow them to share their injuries. There was no cut on her leg where the pain emitted from, just a few scrapes from when she had fallen, but a crudely wrapped bandage had still been put on. Thoughts about what Leviathan had told her about Condor behavior also bothered her, but she shook those from her mind, not wanting to be bothered by them. 

Ku tried to move again, managing to slide off of the bed. She hopped over to the door by clutching some protrusions that stuck out from the wall, and opened the door. Limping out, she dragged herself up the stairs and onto the deck. 

On the salvage ship, she had only been on deck for a little while before resting. They had barely been out of port, and Bikanel Island had still been in view, so the feeling she got from the deck on this ship was much different. 

Wind hit her in the face, her hair whipping around her uncontrollably. The smell of salt met her, and she was enveloped in the scent. The pain in her leg came back unexpectedly, and she stumbled a few steps and held onto the sides of the boat to steady herself. 

"Can't even stand on your own two feet, ya?" 

Without turning around, Ku recognized the voice. It was practically impossible not to, with the strong Besaidian accent attached to it. "Wakka, right?" she said, more as a statement than a question. "My guardian and I aren't trying to cause you any trouble. We just need to get to Kilika and Luca." 

Wakka leaned on the rail next to her. He shook his head confidently. "Nah, I ain't tryin' to bug you. Just wanted to say, I'm sorry for all da things I said back there, ya? And… thanks from da Besaid Aurochs for savin' us from those Condors. Don't know why they were after us, but you helped us a lot back there." 

Ku laughed ironically, then turned her face to the sky. "Funny that you're thanking me for something I caused…" 

"Huh?" was the confused reply. 

She shook her head gloomily and waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." She turned back to him and smiled. "But thanks, Wakka. You helped a lot back there too, with your blitzball and everything. You saved me and Brother a lot of time." 

Wakka pushed himself off of the railing. "Sorry, Ku, but I still don't agree wit' your pilgrimage, ya? Not as long as you got that Al Bhed with ya! No offense or nothin' but--" 

"I understand, Wakka. Don't worry about it." Ku thought about how many times she had 'understood' people, when she really didn't. More than she could count, at least. 

"Ya, well, good luck!" He ran to the open part of the deck, where the other Besaid Aurochs were practicing. She wondered if it could be called practicing, since looked more like they were just hitting themselves in the heads with blitzballs or falling over. The fact that they hadn't won a single game in their whole career made her wonder just how bad they were. 

Sighing, she turned back to the ocean in front of her. It was so wide and calm, but it always evoked memories that she wanted to forget. Thoughts about Zanarkand, about her pilgrimage, about Leviathan, and about Fate, all of them bothered her in one way or another. All of her good memories flitted away in seconds, leaving the Summoner to once again think of all the bad things that had happened or would happen. 

_I wonder if I'll ever get back to Zanarkand,_ she thought. _Even if I do, what'll I do there? It's not like I had the greatest life there… I think I like it better in Spira, really. Maybe I can stay here instead. But… Leviathan said that Fate sent those Condors. If Fate's really trying to get rid of me, then…_

"Ku!" This voice was also familiar to her, and it also had a strong accent, though it was one she was more accustomed to. Turning around, she saw her guardian, Brother, walking towards her. 

"Ku," he said, "Tu oui vaam famm huf?" (Ku, do you feel well now?) 

She nodded to him. "Oac, E vaam paddan. So mak cdemm rindc y meddma, pid hud silr." (Yes, I feel better. My leg still hurts a little, but not much.) She picked at her sleeve again, a nervous habit she had picked up. "Um… thanks for helping me back in Besaid. And I'm sorry for fainting again." 

Brother laughed. "Oui tu vyehd y mud." (You do faint a lot.) 

She gave a small giggle and smiled. "E ys milgo du ryja y kiynteyh fru femm lynno sa ynuiht, drah." (I am lucky to have a guardian who will carry me around, then.) She placed a hand on his shoulder, then pulled back in embarrassment and looked back to the ocean. 

Brother leaned on the rail where Wakka had been. For some reason, Ku had the distinct impression that this very scene had happened before, but ignored the feeling. 

"Oui cruimt nacd ihdem fa naylr Kilika," (You should rest until we reach Kilika,) he said. "E tu hud fyhd oui du vyehd ykyeh." (I do not want you to faint again.) The serious way that he said it made them both break out into laughter, earning a few sideways glances from the crewmembers. 

After a few minutes, Ku was able to regain her breath long enough to answer, "E femm." (I will.) They started laughing again at the incredibly un-funny comment, and Ku realized how foolish it seemed to be laughing so much about it. It didn't bother her though. She was finally able to really be happy, not the fake cover she had put up for so long in her life. Ku had never seen her guardian act this way either, so it was an interesting new twist to their journey. 

"I guess," she paused to catch her breath, "I should go"-another pause-"and check some of our supplies." 

Brother nodded, his regular attitude back. "E fyhd du muug ynuiht dra talg cusa suna. E femm pa tufh mydan." (I want to look around the deck some more. I will be down later.) He waved, then walked back to where the Besaid Aurochs were situated. 

Ku limped back to the stairs, the pain in her leg apparent once more. Almost falling down the stairs, she stopped in front of the merchant on the ship and bought a few extra Potions that had been used up. Finally, she arrived back at the small room she had started in. She laid down on the bed and started thinking again, looking out the window at the waves again. This time, though, they brought thoughts that she actually wanted to remember. 

Ku smiled, closed her eyes, and felt herself being pulled back into sleep, into the place that gave her the most pain, even more than the pain in her leg she was feeling now. She tried to stay awake as long as she could, but the battle was futile. Within minutes, she was back in the world where Leviathan waited. 

* * *

_Aahhh… another bad ending! Too many bad endings are getting to my poor little head. O.o _

This chapter seemed weird. It didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, really. Then again, I didn't exactly have a plan for it anyways. 

I have to figure out a way for Cacty to play a part in this story. Rather than just being there and scaring people. 

Next Chapter: Kilika! And a few new characters, though they won't play a huge part until later. ^^ 


	14. Confessions of a Murderer ::Past::

_This is a long chapter… longer than any of the other ones, anyways, I think. It took me so long to write! I was going to put more in, but it's late and I wanted to put a chapter up this week. I'll put the stuff I had planned for this chapter in the next one. _

Going to Las Vegas tomorrow! That's part of the reason I wanted to finish this chapter. That way, when I come back, I'll come home to lots of reviews! (hint hint ^_~) 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

"You say she is in Kilika?" a distinctly masculine voice said. The bearer of the voice sat on a throne that was placed on a raised dais. The room itself was dark, with only a few faint sources of light on the walls. 

"Specifically, on the S. S. Liki, my lord." The other speaker was standing in front of the other. "She is on her way to Kilika and should arrive shortly." 

"And the Al Bhed?" 

"He is with her." 

The first laughed maliciously. "Perfect," he sneered. "They will be mine soon enough. Then the maesters will have to recognize me." 

"Yes, my lord," the subordinate said. "What would you like me to do?" 

"It would be pointless to take them at Kilika. Let them believe they are safe for now. Send some warrior monks to Luca to stop them. Keep the Summoner alive and bring her here." 

"What about the Al Bhed? He is her guardian." 

The one sitting on the throne frowned, though it was hardly noticeable in the dark. "I have no need for the Al Bhed. Those Al Bhed have been plaguing Yevon for far too long… If he attacks, kill him." 

"Yes, my lord. I understand." The servant was leaving, when the first interrupted. 

"Oh, if the girl summons that forbidden Aeon, do a favor to Yevon and eliminate it too. It should not be allowed on Yevon's land." 

The second paused for a moment, hesitant about what he was about to ask. "My lord… do not think of me as ignorant, but I must ask. Why is it that want them captured?" 

His lord laughed again. "Those fool maesters would not recognize a heathen were it placed right in front of them. This Summoner… I have heard many rumors about her. Not only does she keep company with an Al Bhed, she claims she has come from Zanarkand, thus defiling our holy land. If I can expose her to them, they will realize just how much of a genius I am…" 

"I understand." The other started walking to the exit again. He shook his head sadly, earning a glare from the higher, which again went unnoticed. He went out of the cold room and closed the large door behind him. 

******************

_"So… have you ever been to Kilika before?" Ku peered curiously at Leviathan, who had been standing by her for a while now. He hadn't said anything since she had fallen asleep and arrived in her subconscious. _

**What? Oh, no. I have never gone to Kilika before, but I have heard about it.**

"What's it like there?" Ku asked. She was hoping for another location as sunny and warm as Besaid. 

**It is quite peaceful there. Tropical, as well. It is partly situated on water, and the Kilika Beasts can be seen practicing there often.**

"Kilika Beasts?" 

**The Blitzball team of Kilika. They work hard and train often to prepare for the Luca Blitzball tournament.**

"Ah, I see." She was happy that it would be like the previous location. The warm islands of Spira were much different than the cold city of Zanarkand. Still, memories of her old home lingered in her mind. 

**Ku? Are you all right?**

"What? Oh, um, yeah. I'm fine. Just… thinking." 

**About Zanarkand?**

Ku laughed desolately. "How'd you know," she said, the sarcastic tone clear in her voice. 

Leviathan stared at her for a moment, then looked away. Another silence ensued between the two, until finally, Leviathan broke it. 

**You wished to know more about me, did you not?**

She nodded a little, then twisted a strand of her hair awkwardly. "I mean, if you don't want to, I'll understand…" 

**I do not mind. It is time for someone to know my story.**

Ku sat down on the non-existent floor, readying herself for what she believed would be a long tale. 

**Where do I start…? You realize that Fayths were created when Sin was born. And Sin was created about 1000 years ago, right around the time of your Zanarkand.**

"So," Ku contemplated, "You mean that Sin was created because of Zanarkand?" 

**That appears to be popular belief. Because of Zanarkand's extensive use of machina, Sin was created to punish the people. That is what Yevon teaches. Do you then realize that many of the Fayths that exist today lived back then?**

Ku paused, figuring out what it was that the Fayth was trying to say. "Wait! You mean--" 

**I once lived in that time, 1000 years ago. Before Sin destroyed Zanarkand, I had already left for Bevelle. The time I was there, you were probably around the age of 4.**

"That's the age that… that I was sent to the orphanage…" 

**Exactly. I suppose that people would have called me something of a 'murderer' back then…**

Leviathan paused, letting the revelation fully sink in. Ku sat still for a while, then fidgeted uncomfortably. 

"When I was first sent to the orphanage, I couldn't stop thinking that my parents would come and get me. Maybe they had just put me in there for a while, like we used to put our dog in the kennel when we went away, you know?" She stopped and scratched the edge of her eye. "Finally, I realized that they wouldn't come back. They were dead… and I told myself, I was going to find whoever killed them. I would get him back for everything he had done… But now…" 

Leviathan kneeled down next to the girl. She tried so adamantly to keep her strong composure, yet it was so easily broken. He placed one arm gently around her shoulders. 

**I understand if you hate me… I have caused much pain. But it is too late for me to fully repent for my crimes.**

She shook her head vigorously. "No, it's not that. It's… nothing." She stood up, and Leviathan followed her action. Quickly regaining her calm demeanor once again, she said, "I'd assume there's more to the story than that, right?" 

**You are far more perceptive than I would have imagined. That is correct. Would you like me to tell you that as well?**

Ku shook her head again, causing her thin black braids swing around her. "No, I think you've told me enough for now. How about next time?" 

Leviathan smiled, and turned his head to the side, staring at an invisible object. 

**Yes… That would probably be better. Maybe next time you can tell me more about yourself?**

"What? Can't you just look through my mind for it?" 

**I do not look through all your memories… I do give you some privacy. Well, I am tired today. I think I will leave you now in order to get some sleep…**

******************

Ku laid in bed, one arm slung over her eyes blocking out the bright light. She struggled to remember what had happened the day before, and remembered her conversation with Brother. Smiling, she decided to thank him for cheering her up. 

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, realizing that the pain had ceased completely. The bandage that was on her leg easily slipped off, and underneath, there was no trace of any kind of wound. 

"Attention all passengers!" a voice shouted from deck. "We are approaching Kilika! We should be there in a few minutes." 

Ku had heard that the view of an island in the morning was the best time to see it, so she rushed out onto the deck. Most of the other passengers were already gathered outside, clinging onto the sides of the ship to see the awaiting Kilika. 

She found a small opening on one side, just large enough for her to fit. Looking over to the island, she was astonished at what she saw. Kilika was more beautiful than Besaid. Like Leviathan had said, most of the village was on water, situated on bridges that wound their way everywhere. A few boxes were discarded on the docks. Small huts made their homes everywhere, and people were walking around, untroubled. The clean blue water also added to the splendor of Kilika, and colorful fish and children could be seen swimming in it. Behind the town was a jungle. To Ku, the whole island looked like a tropical paradise. 

After a few minutes, the ship settled by the docks of the small village. Ku ran off the boat, one of the first ones off. She was eager to explore. She stood off to the side, tapping her foot impatiently while she waited for her guardian to exit the boat. When Brother appeared at the top of the plank that connected the boat to the dock, she waved excitedly. 

"Brother," she shouted, "Over here!" 

He went over to her. "Calm down. Reminds me of Rikku. Like little kid." 

Ku shook her head defiantly. "I'm not a kid! I just want to explore the village a little, that's all." 

Brother pointed to the jungle. "We go to temple first. If we have time, we explore." 

Ku pouted. The kind guardian she had seen the day before had once again become the dutiful boring Al Bhed he had been all the other days she had known him. She figured that the quicker she agreed, the sooner they could get back to Kilika, so she agreed. "All right, fine." However, she couldn't help but mutter, "You're so dull…" 

Brother looked at her sternly, to which she answered, "I didn't say anything. Let's go." He sighed, then followed after the fleeing Summoner. 

The jungle was large, but the path to the temple seemed short enough. From where Ku was standing, she could see a few stones embedded into the ground with some writing scrawled onto it. A bridge, blocked by three Crusaders, was up ahead. 

"Al Bhed?" Ku questioned as she examined the stones closer. 

"Oac," Brother answered. "Al Bhed left clues around Spira for special treasures." 

"Oh, I get it." She walked on a little farther until she was standing in front of the Crusaders. "Good morning, Crusaders. I ask permission to pass to Kilika Temple." 

Two of the Crusaders started to mutter to each other; it was obvious they were talking about Brother. The third, seemingly the highest-ranking one there, hushed them. "Lady Summoner, behind us is Ochu, Lord of the Wood. Many Crusaders have not been able to defeat it. We warn you, it would be safer to find an alternate path around it." 

Glancing to the left of the officer, Ku saw a large plant-like monster, its red tentacles waving threateningly around its round body. Bright green leaves circled its midsection, and green gas could be seen emerging from its skin. 

"Lord Ochu… well, Brother, we should probably go around it." She glanced around; her guardian was nowhere in sight. "Er… Brother?" 

A loud crash was heard from where Lord Ochu was standing, and a pained cry emitted from the creature. 

"Dyga dryd, Lord Ochu!" 

Ku sighed and rubbed her temples. "Brother… why did you attack…" Turning back to the three shocked Crusaders, she said hastily, "Sorry about that. Excuse me…". She ran off to fight the now angered Lord of the Wood. 

"Brother, you idiot!" Ku yelled as she tried desperately to slash Lord Ochu with her scythe. "What'd you do that for!?" She jumped instinctively to the side to avoid a large red tentacle, and couldn't help but think of how much she had improved in her fighting. _Looks like Cid's training really did pay off. Good thing, since I'm sure that my guardian's going to get me killed someday…_

"Lord Ochu ryc hajan paah y tevvelimd ahaso vun so baubma! Machina yht magic lyh gemm ed!" (Lord Ochu has never been a difficult enemy for my people! Machina and magic can kill it!) He fired another shot from his gun, causing the monster to screech again. He then cast a fire spell on the wounded Ochu. 

Ku ran up to the monster again, ready to attack, when it stopped moving. Somewhat surprised, Ku stopped as well. She had learned to be cautious since the Cactuar she had fought, which had also done nothing until it attacked with its 10,000 Needles, something she never wanted to experience again. "Um… Brother? What's it doing?" It appeared to be slumped over, and was making strange grumbling noises. 

Brother paused for a second, examining it, when he understood what it was doing. "Yddylg ed huf!" he exclaimed. "Ed ec cmaabehk, yht ed nalujanc meva frema ed cmaabc. Gemm ed!" (Attack it now! It is sleeping, and it recovers life while it sleeps. Kill it!) He proceeded to fire multiple shots at the sleeping creature and cast several more spells before pausing to rest. 

Ku followed Brother's example and tried to cut its tentacles off in its sleep, a complicated task. She soon learned that the tentacles were a lot tougher than they looked. 

Suddenly, Lord Ochu woke up again with much more vigor than it had before. It threw both Ku and Brother away. Ku managed to land in a soft patch of grass, but the other wasn't so lucky, being thrown forcefully against an old rotting tree. He slumped to the ground, a moan escaping his lips. 

"Oh, great…" Ku sighed. "Machina and magic can really kill it, huh?" She ran over to her fallen guardian, whose back was scratched up badly and bleeding. "Ick…" She looked at the enemy and was relieved to see that it was almost defeated. 

She walked forward a little, then performed the summoning dance for Valefor. Remembering what had happened the last time she summoned the Aeon, she almost stopped midway through the summoning, but in the end decided to continue. 

Valefor appeared with the same dignity as it had had the last time it was summoned. The colorful bird still amazed Ku when she summoned it. She pointed to Lord Ochu, and the Aeon continued to attack the creature. 

Meanwhile, Ku backed over to Brother, who was still sitting against the tree he had injured himself against. "Sit up," she ordered, and he did so. She rummaged around in the accessory pack she had tied around her waist and pulled out two bottles; one was filled with a clear liquid and the other with a green mixture. Ku emptied the green bottle's contents out onto her hand, which sloshed heavily in her open palm. Reaching to Brother, she rubbed the concoction onto his wound until it had been absorbed into his back. 

"Ku, ed cdehkc…" (Ku, it stings…) he groaned. One eye was closed, and the other was only half open. 

"Oh, be quiet. You're such a baby sometimes. And stop sulking." She tried to suppress a laugh as she handed him the Potion. "Drink this, it'll reduce the pain." 

He looked at her suspiciously; he was used to Al Bhed Potions, not the Potions they sold everywhere else in Spira. He shrugged off his doubt and drank the contents of the glass vial. Wiping his mouth with one of his gloved hands, he could feel some of the aches from his back receding. 

"Wow," Ku said. "Valefor's stronger than it looks." She was staring at the Aeon, who had just dealt the final blow against Lord Ochu. The fiend cringed, then cried out as it exploded into pyreflies. Valefor turned to its Summoner, who nodded, and the Aeon flew back into the sky and soon disappeared from view. 

"Lady Summoner!" a voice yelled. The three Crusaders were running up to them. "Lady," said the officer, "We saw what you did! That was amazing! I've never seen Lord Ochu beaten by only two people before!" The Crusaders removed their helmets, revealing that the officer was a woman and the other two were men. They executed the prayer gesture. "We must go patrol the rest of the jungle now that the Lord of the Wood is gone at the moment." The woman saluted to Ku and Brother. "We wish you luck on your journey." With that, the three ran off to another hidden path leading farther into the mass of trees. 

Ku leaned down to help the Al Bhed up. "Come on. The temple shouldn't be too far." They started down the path again, turning once to the left to take a separate path that led straight to the temple of Kilika. 

The two arrived in front of a tall flight of stone stairs, their white surface scarred with many cracks. Some plants were growing in the splits between the steps. 

"So many steps," Ku stated. "Guess we should hurry." She grinned at Brother, who was still looking up to the temple. "Shouldn't take us too long, right?" She started at a run up the steps, the other soon following. They passed through the wide clearing and after going up a second set of stairs, reached Kilika Temple. 

Ku walked to the summoning platform, gazing at the blazing fire that was covered by an emerald shield. A few villagers were sitting around the temple, talking or looking at statues that were similar to the ones in Besaid's temple. Inside, she could hear the Hymn of the Fayth, this one unique to Kilika. It was lower than the one that Valefor had sung, the baritone voice of the Fayth reverberating through the temple. She stopped at a statue that was particularly large. 

"Dat's a statue of High Summoner Ohalland. Used to live in dis temple." Turning around, she saw that it was no other than Wakka. "He was once a great blitzer, ya? We pray to him every year before da Blitzball Tournament." 

She turned back to the statue. "But you still lose?" 

"Eh," he said as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Don't say dat 'round here, ya?" He laughed heartily. "You see those steps back there? Lord Ohalland used to train there!" 

Ku laughed with him. "We should be getting to the Chamber of the Fayth now. Good luck in the tournament!" She and Brother were walking to the intricately decorated door leading to the Cloister of Trials when it opened. 

A woman, a few years older than Ku, and two others exited. The woman, who Ku assumed to be a Summoner, was covered in sweat from her time in the Chamber of the Fayth. Her two guardians, one male and one female, supported her. 

"Hmm?" The unknown Summoner faced Ku. "A Summoner… unusual to find one so young starting so soon." She reached her hand out, and Ku grasped it. "I'm Suki, and these are my guardians, Ari and Griffis." 

Ku examined the group carefully. Suki was probably in her early twenties, with shoulder-length brown hair. Her Summoner robes were similar to Ku's, except her midriff was not exposed. The color was also different, hers being a deep red compared to Ku's blue. Ari was the female guardian, her long red hair bright against her pale skin. Her golden eyes shined, making her numerous freckles show more. Her clothes were simple, consisting of a golden cloth shirt that hung messily above her dark brown pants. Her weapon was a bow that she held, and a quiver of arrows was tied to her back. Griffis was the opposite of Ari. His messy black hair covered his dark blue eyes and pale face. He wore a black shirt and black pants, with a dark bluish-black cape slung over one shoulder. A sword was in a sheath that was attached to the side of his belt. His constant frown contradicted continuous Ari's smile. 

"I'm Ku, and this is Brother. It's nice to meet you." 

Suki and Ari looked inquisitively at Brother, and Griffis crossed his arms. "You have an Al Bhed for a guardian?" Suki asked. 

"Um… yeah," Ku replied tentatively. "I'm sorry if you have something against the Al Bhed." 

Suki shook her head robustly. "No, no! It's not that. It's just… so different from what I've seen." She smiled kindly, then leaned in closer to speak in a whisper. "I'm glad that some people are willing to question the teachings." 

"Dunno why people are so against you Al Bhed," Ari said. "It's not like you're that bad or anythin', right?" 

Brother grinned and nodded. "You are like Rikku. My little sister." 

Ari laughed. "Really? Hee hee, never really met anyone like me before! Maybe if we ever get the chance to go to Home, I can meet her, y'know?" She nudged Griffis with her elbow. "Hey, Griffis, what d'ya think?" 

Griffis shook his head. "No comment." 

"Oh, come on!" Ari encouraged. "You always got somethin' good to say!" 

Suki smiled meekly. "Oh, Ari, stop bothering him. You know he doesn't like to talk that much." She nodded to Ku. "We should not keep you any longer. Maybe we'll see you in Kilika?" 

Ku returned the nod. "Yes, maybe. Goodbye." 

"Kuutpoa," Brother muttered softly. Then they both entered into the Cloister of Trials. 

The Cloister of Trials in the Kilika Temple was a little more challenging than the one in Besaid, but after trying many combinations of the Kilika and Glyph spheres, they were finally able to put out the fire blocking their way and make it through. When they arrived at the Chamber of the Fayth, Brother stood to the side of the door like the last temple, and Ku entered, more confidently this time. 

Ku noticed that this chamber was almost identical to the one that Valefor was housed in. The only difference was the relic in the center, which pertained specifically to Ifrit. She kneeled down and began to pray. 

She stole a glance at the relic, and saw an image of Ifrit appear. It started to walk towards her, and just as quickly as it came, it vanished. A man, seemingly a Crusader, took the Aeon's place. 

**Are you the Summoner who has called me?**

Ku stood, and squirmed under the Fayth's strong gaze. "Yes." 

**What is it that you seek, Summoner?**

This conversation was the same as the one she had had with Valefor. "I wish for your help to defeat Sin." 

**Is that really all you want?**

Ku started to wonder if Fayths had some sort of power to draw the truth from you. For some reason, she had the irresistible urge to tell Ifrit everything. "I want to know more about myself and about Spira. I want to find out why people are against the Al Bhed, and what I can do to help them." 

**Why do you want to help the Al Bhed?**

"They seem so misunderstood. I guess I can understand why Yevon dislikes them, but it's just that everyone hates them without even getting to know them." She was about to say more, when she realized how inane it was to be telling a Fayth, someone who was a strong follower of Yevon, all these things about a race they hated. "Oh, sorry… You probably don't care too much…" 

**Please continue.**

She was a little surprised at the supportive tone Ifrit used, but continued as he had asked. "When I first arrived at Spira, I was near Home. The Al Bhed were the ones that took me in and taught me about Spira and everything. They even supported me when I asked to become a Summoner, and Cid taught me everything I needed to survive. He even brought me my first guardian." 

**I understand.**

The Aeon was silent for a moment. Ku didn't know what to say, so she stayed quiet. After a few uncomfortable minutes, Ifrit spoke again. 

**You say that you do not know about yourself?**

She laughed weakly. "No… I'm afraid not." The Crusader walked off of the relic over to her and reached one ghostly hand out to touch her forehead. 

**I see that you are not fully real… A half dream, perhaps? Yes…**

"A half dream? Valefor and Leviathan both said something about dreams…" 

The man pulled his hand away at the mention of the forbidden Aeon. 

**Leviathan!? What business have you with him?**

_Not again,_ Ku thought. "He is my protector, whom I found in Home. He has helped me many times in my journey already, and I am greatly indebted to him." 

**Strange… you are sure that Leviathan has done this?**

"I am positive." 

**To think that someone as cruel as him could be so kind to you… Maybe he really is trying to seek forgiveness. Very well. I will grant you my power to help you on your journey.**

He reached over to Ku once again, this time grasping her at the shoulders. A gentle warmth came over her, which then left as he let go. 

**You are very strong, Summoner. Do not change.**

She nodded to him and did the prayer gesture. Ifrit jumped up and disappeared as Ku exited the chamber. 

* * *

_I think I ended another chapter in the same way. The one with the Besaid Temple, I believe. _

Well, at least something happened in this chapter. More about Leviathan is revealed! And new characters. 

The song "Powder Snow" by Ayumi Hamazaki is so pretty… I like listening to it during the sadder scenes. Music makes it so much easier to write. ^^ 

And just cause I won't be home on the 25th, Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)! ^ 


	15. Serenity ::Past::

_Sorry for not updating so long! Being in Las Vegas and all, plus playing Xenogears almost constantly now, I haven't really gotten to it. Also, Animal Crossing has become my new home. Yes, I enjoy it when creepy looking animals laugh, tease, and yell at me. And they'll write letters to me!! It's very entertaining. _

Las Vegas was fun, but too much second hand smoke (and I'm allergic to it!). Much more down there than up here in snowy, cold Maine. Of course, I'd go back to Las Vegas just to see more Cirque du Soleil shows. That has become my new obsession. 

By the way, do you like the new summary? Now it sounds like a semi-cheap rip-off from FFVIII. 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**, 

Ku pushed aside the colorful leaves that stood in the entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth, when she suddenly felt a slight sting run through her forehead. She quickly grasped at it, and it passed through at her touch. However, despite the pain being gone, she was suddenly extremely tired. 

"Ku?" Brother looked into the small corridor that his Summoner was in. She was now supporting herself with one hand on the cold stone wall. 

Ku gave a tired laugh. "Heh… Sorry, but… I think I'm going to faint again…" 

Brother quickly walked up to her, put one hand under her knees, and used his other arm to support her head and pick her up. "You are ok?" 

She struggled a little, surprised at her guardian's protective gesture and also not wanting to be babied by the older boy. Exhaustion eventually forced her to submit and relax. "I think so," Ku said. "I'm probably just tired from talking to the Fayth." She closed her eyes, then opened them again and asked, "Can we go back to Kilika now? I still want to explore a little." 

He rolled his eyes at her persistence. "Oayr. We explore now." At his answer, the Summoner managed a small smile, then closed her eyes and fell asleep. 

Making sure that they had everything, Brother, while holding an unconscious Ku, walked down the path between the temple and the village. The walk seemed shorter this time; not as many fiends attacked them, and there was no second encounter with the Lord of the Forest. After a few minutes, they emerged back into the welcoming Kilika sunshine. 

Feeling the warmth on her heavy eyelids, Ku woke and mumbled, "Are we there?" 

Brother set her down by one of the small huts of the village, and she shakily stood up. "Oac," he replied. "Kilika is here." 

She glanced around once more at the small village. From where she stood, most of her view was obscured by straw huts. She walked a little farther to another spot, shady from the overhanging leaf of a palm tree. Numerous houses lined the dock, and wooden boats were tied on the outer edge. 

"Hey," she said, "There's a shop over there. Let's go." 

"We need to?" Brother questioned. 

Ku sighed. "In case you don't remember, you recklessly started a fight with Lord Ochu. You got thrown into a tree and were hurt. You used up our supplies. That's why we need more." 

Her guardian was silent. She hid a smirk behind her hand, then started off towards the shop. 

The shop itself couldn't really be considered a shop at all. It was really just an octagonal platform with a paranoid old man and a box. There were some supplies stacked by the man, which he was extremely protective of. When Ku and Brother walked in, the man limped quickly over to them. 

"Hey, you!" he screeched. "Stop tryin' to steal my stuff already!" He was about to continue, when realization hit him. "Oh, wait! You're a customer, ain't ya? Well, why didn't you say so! What'll it be?" 

Brother rolled his eyes again, and Ku elbowed him in the ribs. Thankfully, the old man was half-blind anyways and couldn't see the Al Bhed's action. "I'd like a Potion and an Antidote," she requested. 

The shopkeeper slowly walked to a pile of glass bottles and gingerly picked two out of the jumble. He unhurriedly walked back to them, finally reached them and handed Ku the two bottles. 

"That'll be 100 Gil." The old man held his hand out expectantly. Ku rummaged in her pouch, which somehow held all their money and supplies. After a short while, she pulled out the correct amount of Gil and handed it to the shopkeeper. "Thank you. Come again!" And with that, he pushed them out of the crude shop. 

"Well," Ku grumbled, "Wasn't he nice…" She was about to say more, when a round blue object, similar to the two that had almost hit her before in Besaid and Home, fly towards her. Brother's hand quickly shot out and caught it. 

"Hey!" called a voice from the ocean. Turning around, they could see a white-bearded man with tanned skin wearing the blitzball uniform of the Kilika Beasts. "Could you pass that ball back over here?" 

Brother nodded, positioned the ball an arms length away from him, and dropped it. He then proceeded to kick it, sending it flying past the man in the water, and leaving a shocked look on both the blitzball player and the Summoner. 

Ku turned to Brother and said, "Wow…I didn't know you were so good at blitzball…" She watched as the man in the water swam to retrieve the blitzball. "You should join a team or something. You're as good as a lot of the players on the Zanarkand Abes." 

"Dra Al Bhed Psyches tet ycg sa du zueh dras uhla," (The Al Bhed Psyches did ask me to join them once,) he responded. 

"Why didn't you?" 

"E tu hud ghuf... E kiacc dryd E fyc suna ehdanacdat eh machina dryh blitzball..." (I do not know… I guess that I was more interested in machina than blitzball…) He sighed regretfully. "Huf drao ryja ahuikr bmyoanc. Drao tu hud haat sa." (Now they have enough players. They do not need me.) 

He was quiet after that. Ku took a quick glance at him, and saw that he was looking out towards the ocean. _Isn't that the way back to Home?_ she thought. _He must miss it. I doubt that a pilgrimage around Spira is his ideal vacation, especially the way Al Bhed are treated around here…_ She turned back to the blitzball player, who had now retrieved his blitzball and was heading back to them. 

"Hey!" The man had finally reached the dock and was now leaning one arm on the surface of the deck. The other held the blitzball. Now that he was closer, Ku could see that he had many scars on his face and arms. His features were accented by the black eyepatch he wore on his right eye. She estimated him to be in his mid-thirties. "You're pretty good! My name's Vuroja. Who're you?" 

This time, it was Brother who made the introductions. Struggling slightly, he slowly answered, "I am Brother. This is Ku." 

"What's an Al Bhed like you doing out here?" Vuroja asked. "And with a Summoner?" 

"Well," Ku started, "The Al Bhed were the ones who found me when I first arrived in Spira. They--" 

"When you first arrived?" the gray-haired man interrupted. 

"Er…" Ku stammered. "I mean… I, uh, got near Sin so I forgot everything. The Al Bhed helped me out a lot." The often-used excuse was becoming second nature to her. "They even let me become a Summoner, and Brother's my guardian." 

"Praise be to Yevon," Vuroja said. He placed his blitzball on the water's surface, then quickly performed the prayer gesture. Picking the blue ball up again, he said, "It's a miracle you're still alive after getting close to Sin." To Brother, he asked, "You want to blitz? I need to practice for the tournament in Luca." 

"Wait," Brother said, slightly puzzled. "You do not mind an Al Bhed?" 

Vuroja laughed as though it was the oddest thing he had ever heard. "'Course not! In blitzball, nothing matters but the game, right? So, are you going to blitz or not?" 

Brother looked questioning to Ku, to which she answered, "Go ahead. The ship to Luca isn't here yet, and I wouldn't mind watching." Brother grinned gladly and dived in the water to where Vuroja was waiting. They started talking about something, though Ku was too far away to hear them. Next, they swam farther out to the ocean and started to play blitzball. 

_Kinda like Zanarkand,_ Ku noticed. _Just sitting around, watching blitzball; that was really the only thing someone like me could do. It's a lot calmer here, though. I wonder… if I could go back, would I even want to? At least here, I can forget…_

A warm hand gripped her shoulder as a feminine voice said, "Mind if I watch with you?" Swiveling her head around, Ku saw a face she had met just a short while ago. 

"Go ahead, I don't mind." She searched her mind for a name to match the face. "Um… Suki, right?" 

The brunette smiled. "Yes. And you're Ku?" 

"Yeah." Ku looked around, but couldn't find the other two that were with Suki before. "Where are your guardians?" 

"Oh, Ari and Griffis like to wander around. Actually, Ari likes to wander, and she just drags Griffis with her." She waved one hand to the village. "They could be anywhere. They'll come back when the ship to Besaid arrives." 

Ku nodded and leaned backwards, her back touching the wooden planks of the dock. "It must be nice to have guardians like that." 

Suki looked confused as she spun her body around to face the younger Summoner. "What do you mean? Isn't Brother a good guardian?" 

"What?" Ku sat back up, shaking her head vehemently. "No, no, that's not it. I like having Brother around. It's just that, sometimes…" She took her previous laying position again, letting herself get lost in the vast emptiness of the sky. "Sometimes, he just seems so sad, like he never wanted to go on the journey in the first place. I don't want him to be forced into doing this, but I think that's how he feels. I guess I kind of feel bad about it, you know?" She stopped for a moment, awaiting a response. When none came, she laughed and said hastily, "I probably sound really stupid… forget what I said." 

"No, I can understand," Suki replied. "Griffis was the same way. You probably didn't guess, but he's my brother." 

"Really?" Ku asked, surprised. "You look really different." 

"He's really only my half-brother. His father was different from mine, but we share the same mother. They were always proud of me, so when I told them I wanted to become a Summoner, they supported me. But Griffis, he never had the same kinds of dreams as me. My parents… he doesn't even consider them his own parents anymore. He didn't live up to their expectations, so when I left home, they forced him to become my guardian." 

Ku sighed sadly. "I know what that feels like," she sympathized. "Not wanted by your own parents…" 

Suki was about to question that comment, but thought better of it. "Yes, well… For the first week or two, during our journey, he wasn't really enthusiastic. It wasn't something he wanted to do. But, we started to learn about each other, and we were finally able to really talk about things. Then, when Ari joined us, the pilgrimage became much livelier. She's so open, and easy to talk to. I think it really helped Griffis." She peeked behind her for a moment, then seemed satisfied and continued. "I think just having someone other than family to talk was a welcome pleasure for him. They're very close friends now." 

"I'm sort of hoping to get at least one new guardian on the way," Ku said softly. "It's just that, not a lot of people like the Al Bhed. It must be hard on him. That's why… I'm going to try to find someone who doesn't care about that. Either that, or I'll find another Al Bhed for him to talk to." 

A loud splashing could be heard behind them, and turning around, they both saw a large ship with the name "S. S. Liki" printed on the side. An unseen horn onboard bellowed, and two figures from the village started to run towards the Summoners. They soon revealed themselves as Ari and Griffis. 

"Suki!" Ari exclaimed. "We're back! And look at what we bought!" She held out multiple items to her Summoner, who inspected them and laughed. 

Suki looked to Ku and smiled kindly. "Your guardian's lucky to have a Summoner who cares about him. Well, we'll be going to Besaid now. You're going to Luca, right?" Ku nodded. "Then, maybe we'll meet again in another town. Take care until then." They waved goodbye to each other, and then Suki ran to catch up to her two guardians, who were waiting on the boarding plank. Once on board, the three waved again, then went inside the boat as it departed. 

Ku turned back to the blitzball game. Both the players were laughing heartily and passing the ball. Ku grinned; it was seldom that she saw Brother this cheerful. 

_Maybe, in Luca…_ Ku contemplated. _Maybe I should let him stay there. I'm sure someone there will be able to take him back to Home…_

Ku laid back down, her arms crossed behind her head. She closed her eyes and was about to rest for a while when a loud horn, similar to the S. S. Liki's, sounded. 

Startled by the loud noise, Ku jumped up and looked the way of the siren. Another ship, larger than the one that had departed to Kilika, was approaching, with the name "S. S. Winno" scrawled sharply on the side. It docked at the end of the walkway, and a man ran out from the ship. 

"S. S. Winno!" he cried out. "Goin' to Luca! We depart in twenty minutes!" He ran back into the ship and disappeared from view. 

"Brother!" Ku shouted to the Al Bhed. "The ship's here!" Her announcement was not needed though, as Brother and Vuroja were already pulling themselves up onto the walkway. 

"The Kilika Beasts are taking that ship to Luca," Vuroja said. "I have to meet with the rest of my team before we depart. I'll see you in Luca, I suppose." He started to walk away, then turned back and yelled, "Thanks for the practice!" The blitzball player waved, and the two of them returned the action. 

Ku was still lost in thought as to whether or not she should leave her guardian in Luca. She made her way to the ship, Brother following vigilantly behind her. He realized, once she almost missed the boarding plank, that something was wrong. 

"Ku?" he said hesitantly. "Everything is ok?" 

She quickly snapped out of her thoughts and answered, "Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. Just thinking." 

He nodded, then stared at her as she hurried onto the boat's deck. He shook his head, then followed her up and stood next to her, by the front of the boat. 

After a few minutes, many more people started to board the ship. Ku recognized the Besaid Aurochs, Wakka leading them as always. Soon after, Vuroja, trailed by the rest of the Kilika Beats, took a spot on the deck and started practicing. Other people she didn't know also came on, mostly Kilikans on their way to watch the Luca Tournament. 

She leaned over the railing of the ship, attempting to get a better view of the island they were leaving. Its serenity was so hard to get away from, and she almost considered staying for a few extra days. But in the end, she decided that she had to go on to Luca. She had come to the conclusion that it would be there that she would part from her guardian. 

Brother leaned over and pointed at Kilika. The ship had started to move, and it got farther and farther away, until it finally vanished altogether. He watched as his Summoner prayed to the island, using Yevon's well-known gesture. It was almost strange, seeing her do this to every place she left, and sometimes he questioned why she did it. But like usual, he said nothing. 

Ku touched her head; the pain that had left her so tired before had returned. She rubbed her temples, trying to force the pain away, but the effort was in vain. The pain only worsened. She didn't want her guardian to worry anymore; if she was going to leave him in Luca, she would have to take care of herself. She moaned, causing her guardian to look down at her with concern. Ku saw him say something, but no sound was heard. The world started to turn unnaturally, and faded to nothing. 

* * *

_Another chapter done. This one took me a lot longer than usual, and I think parts of it sound kinda sappy. Oh well. At least it's not as sappy as my friend's co-dependant boyfriend. _

Just curious… do you think this is turning into a Mary-Sue? Please tell me if it is… Cause that's really the last thing I want this to be. (Mary-Sue's annoy me very, very much.) Also, is it too repetitive? 

Argg… I have to practice for my flute recital on Sunday. Then I'm auditioning for a talent show on Monday, then another music rehearsal on Tuesday. It's mostly the recital I'm worried about. I have to play two songs, one with four short movements, and the other one has a solo in it. I always manage to mess up the solo too, and no one else is playing so you can really hear it… Bahhhh. Well, I'm sure it'll work out somehow. ^^ 


	16. Conflict ::Past::

_Ohh… this took me sooo long to write!! Too long, I think. And it's a shorter chapter than my last one! But it seemed so tedious to write it. I think I'm in a writer's block. Especially since that History book we had to do. I can't draw anymore after that… (I made it into a comic book about the Chinese Exclusion Act.) But my History teacher seems to like it. And he said his son likes it. Even though, about halfway through, the coloring starts to consist of lines. _

But I digress much too often. I have to stop. Stop talking. I can't. Bah. 

Anyways… I think this is a boring chapter. That's my opinion. Maybe it's just cause I'm tired. I think all the Al Bhed in this chapter made me tired. And I've been playing Animal Crossing too much. And I'm pathetic enough to wake up at 7AM to celebrate Groundhog's Day in that game. Sigh… Je n'ai pas un vie. J'ai besoin de vie. (Don't know if that second one's correct or not…) 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

_Where am I? _

Why am I here? 

Was I bad? Do you not want me anymore? 

Is that why I'm here? 

'Cause if it is, then… 

…I'm sorry… 

******************

Ku sat up in bed, sweat running down her face. She looked around; the room looked strangely familiar. It was almost identical to the room that had been on the S. S. Liki, apart from being slightly larger and warmer. Someone had carried her to the soft white bed she now laid on, and they had wrapped the blanket tightly around her, constricting her movement. 

After a few minutes, she was able to free herself from the blanket's confining grip. The sun shined in from the window onto Ku's face, allowing her to feel a contrasting coldness on her face. She walked over to a dresser on the other side of the room, where a mirror sat. 

_I'm crying… But why?_

Ku wiped the tears away and let the redness from crying fade before journeying up to the deck. 

The bright sun shined in Ku's eyes, almost blinding her. Blocking it with one arm, she went to the more open part of the deck. The sight in front of her was even more stunning than Kilika, and brought back several memories. She searched around the boat for a place to view the oncoming town, but could not find a place that wasn't already occupied by another passenger. 

"Ku!" Turning around, Ku saw Brother gesturing to her to come over. She complied and walked over to him. He moved over to make room for her. "Easier to see Luca here." 

Leaning over, Ku's breath caught in her throat. In a way, it was almost exactly like Zanarkand. More like what Zanarkand would have been without machina, really. The buildings were bigger in Luca than any of the other villages they had seen. Colorful banners were hanging everywhere, celebrating the tournament. Many ships could be seen, docked at multiple ports around the city, and shops lined the crowded streets. 

But what really caught Ku's attention was the Blitzball stadium. 

It was located in the center of Luca, to allow easy access to everyone. A huge sphere, the playing field, was being filled with water. Bleachers lined the stadium, people already gathered on them to watch the games. 

"Reminds me of Zanarkand," Ku said thoughtfully. 

Brother faced her and pointed to Luca. "Maybe we find someone you know. You regain your memory." 

Ku smiled and walked towards the exit of the ship as it started to dock. She ran onto the gravelly sidewalk of Luca when the boat had stopped and turned to her guardian, shaking her head. "But I really am from Zanarkand, remember? So, of course I'm not going to find anyone here that I know." She laughed and started off towards the blitzball stadium. Behind her, she could hear the Besaid Aurochs and Kilika Beasts being introduced. 

"Erg…" Ku clutched at her stomach as it made a sound, audible to everyone within a few yards of her. "I'm so hungry… It feels like I haven't eaten in days!" She looked to Brother, who appeared to be unaffected by her complaints. "Aren't you hungry?" 

"E ys icat du hud aydehk," (I am used to not eating,) Brother answered coolly. 

Ku sighed. "Dryd ec hud raymdro," (That is not healthy,) she reprimanded. Pointing to a small bar located next to Luca's exit, she said, "Let's stop there for lunch." Without waiting for a reply, she started walking to it. 

Ku chose a small table in the corner of the building. She sat and stared at the screen above the counter, which showed food items that could be bought. Suddenly, something else caught her eye. 

"Blitzball," Ku muttered, looking at a screen on the back wall. Blitzers throwing the ball and being tackled could be seen. She breathed deeply and turned her attention to the floor. "Just like Zanarkand." 

Brother pointed to the bar's exit. "I want to look around." 

Ku nodded. "Sure," she said. "Um… is it ok if I stay here a little longer? Just to… watch the rest of the game." 

Brother made an approving gesture and walked out the door. He stretched his arms out in the brightness of the sun. He stood on the stone steps of the bar, located next to Luca's exit. In front of him was a large castle-like structure that sat in the center of the large clearing. A few weapon stalls made their home around the town. People were also plentiful, coming from every direction possible. What Brother noticed most was the variety of the spectators; Yevonites, Guados, Ronsos, and even Al Bhed strolled the streets. 

_I should go visit the Al Bhed Psyches,_ Brother thought. _I did tell them I'd visit if I came to Luca._ With that in mind, he walked down one of the open paths to the blitzball stadium. 

He stopped in front of the blue counter at the bottom of the stadium. One of the three attendants turned away from her conversation with the other two. 

"Would you like to buy a ticket? Or are you registering to play?" 

"Where is Al Bhed Psyches locker room?" Brother asked. 

"The Al Bhed Psyches?" She looked down at a notebook and ran her finger down the open pages, searching. "Let's see… Ah! Al Bhed Psyches are in the left corridor. Their logo is right on the door. You can't miss it." 

Brother nodded and thanked the girl. He went off in the direction she had pointed out to him. 

_Rikku would like the fish,_ he thought as he walked through the corridor. Fish tanks lined the walls, allowing people to watch the colorful animals darting by. A pang of homesickness went through him, but he quickly shook it off. Eventually, he found himself facing the Al Bhed Psyches' door. 

Knocking loudly on the wooden surface, he shouted, "Rao! Yhouha eh drana?" (Hey! Anyone in there?) 

An equally loud answer came from the other side of the door. "Fru ec ed?" (Who is it?) 

"Ed ec Brother! Oui dumt sa du jeced oui!" (It is Brother! You told me to visit you!) 

The door swung open with a squeak, revealing Berrik, the captain of the team. "Brother!" he yelled, leading him into the locker room. "Fryd yna oui tuehk rana?" (What are you doing here?) 

"E ys rana fedr y Summoner." (I am here with a Summoner.) 

Berrik gave a puzzled look to the other. "Y Summoner? E druikrd Cid fyc ykyehcd bemknesykac." (A Summoner? I thought Cid was against pilgrimages.) 

"E tet duu," (I did too,) Brother replied, scratching the back of his head. "Pid E drehg Vydran drehgc cra ec tevvanahd." (But I think Father thinks she is different.) 

"Ruf?" (How?) Blappa, another member of the team piped up. 

Brother paused for a moment, wary as to whether he should give the information he was about to reveal. Finally, he said quietly, "Cra cissuhat Leviathan. Vydran cyoc cra fyc lrucah..." (She summoned Leviathan. Father says she was chosen…) He grinned. "Pacetac, E tu hud drehg ed ec buccepma du cdub ran vnus kuehk uh dra bemknesyka." (Besides, I do not think it is possible to stop her from going on the pilgrimage.) 

"Fa raynt ypuid ran, nekrd, Berrik?" (We heard about her, right, Berrik?) Nimrook asked from his position on the bench. 

"Oayr!" Berrik replied. "Cusa byccehk Al Bhed dumt ic ypuid ran. Drao cyo cra lmyesc du pa vnus Zanarkand?" (Some passing Al Bhed told us about her. They say she claims to be from Zanarkand?) 

Brother nodded. "Dryd ec fryd cra cyoc." (That is what she says.) 

"Cu," Berrik said, changing the subject, "tu oui mega dra bemknesyka?" (So, do you like the pilgrimage?) 

The Al Bhed guardian looked up to the metal ceiling of the locker room, pondering the question. He hadn't really thought about liking the journey; he had always figured it was something he had to do. "Oac, E kiacc E mega ed. Ed ryc paah... ehdanacdehk du caa ymm uv draca bmylac. Yht Ku ec hela." (Yes, I guess I like it. It has been... interesting to see all of these places. And Ku is nice.) 

"Oui cruimt dyga ran du y pmedwpymm kysa," (You should take her to a blitzball game,) Berrik said plainly. At the other's blank stare, he continued, "Ev cra cyoc cra ec vnus Zanarkand, cra bnupypmo megac pmedwpymm. Pacetac, ed femm pa vih. Yht oui lyh cdyo fedr ic vun dra hekrd du cyja suhao." (If she says she is from Zanarkand, she probably likes blitzball. Besides, it will be fun. And you can stay with us for the night to save money.) 

Brother paused, thinking the offer over. "…Oac, E drehg E femm tu dryd. Dryhgc, Berrik. E femm caa oui ymm mydan." (…Yes, I think I will do that. Thanks, Berrik. I will see you all later.) With one hand on the locker room's doorknob, he waved to the Al Bhed Psyches and left. 

Brother stopped for a second time by the stadium's front desk. _Should I buy the tickets? I guess it won't hurt…_

"Excuse me," the girl from before said. "Can I help you?" 

"Yes…" Brother approached the counter. "Two tickets, please." 

"Ok, two tickets! That'll be… 200 Gil." He handed her some money, and she smiled. "Thank you! The next match will be the Al Bhed Psyches against the Ronso Fangs." 

Brother pocketed the two thin tickets and started back to the bar. Upon entering, he looked around for Ku. She was nowhere to be seen. _Where is she? What if something happened to her?_ he wondered frantically. He shook his head and exited the building. _What am I thinking? She probably just went out for a while._

He sat down on a bench, which was by the large statue next to the bar. It overlooked one of the long passages out of the area to the smaller parts of Luca. Soon enough, he saw a familiar figure running to him, long tresses of black hair waving behind her. 

"Brother!" Ku shouted, holding a blue object in her hand. "Brother!" She finally reached him and stopped, out of breath. Regaining her energy, she pointed the object in her hand at him. 

"Ku?" he said, looking quizzically at her. "Fryd ec dryd?" (What is that?) 

The Summoner reached one hand out and stood by the Al Bhed in front of the object. "It's a sphere! The guy at the counter said you could record things on it. So I got one to remember our journey!" She turned back to the sphere. Pointing to herself, she said, "This is me, Ku, and Brother, my first guardian." Ku turned to point at him, then quickly moved the sphere to face the city around them at his scowl. "We're in Luca right now." 

Brother leaned down to whisper something into her ear, unseen by the sphere's recording camera. She smiled, then said, "Brother bought some tickets to go watch the blitzball tournament!" She faced her guardian once more. "You might not know it at first, but he's really good at blitzball! In Kilika, he--" 

Brother suddenly grabbed the sphere away from her. She was about to protest, when he cut her off. "Ku, ruf silr tet drec lucd?" (Ku, how much did this cost?) 

Ku blushed and looked down to the ground, the guilt evident in her face. "Well… I figured we wouldn't need that much money…" 

"Ruf silr?" (How much?) 

"Ha ha… only 5000 Gil." 

She laughed as she saw Brother's face go red, but her laughter soon receded as her guardian chased after her, blue sphere in one hand. Her reflexes were too slow, and soon, she felt the boy's arm wrap around her waist, pulling her to the ground. 

"Brother!" she laughed, looking around at the staring people. "This is embarrassing…" 

He brushed off his dark pants and reached down to help her up. "Ed ec ouin ufh vyimd." (It is your own fault.) 

Ku pouted. "You're not helping." She snatched her hand away from him once she had stood and walked towards the blitzball stadium. "We'd better go find some seats for the game." She started off at a run, the other close behind her. 

"Ugh…" Ku muttered, looking around the crowded stadium. "Too many people…" She absently tugged at one of her sleeves, uncomfortable amidst the numerous bodies. 

"Ku? You are ok?" 

"Yeah…" Ku sighed, not wanting to ruin his generous act. "I just don't really like being around so many people. That's all." Seeing the disappointed look on his face, Ku suddenly found her sleeve to be particularly interesting. "Er… but, thanks. For taking me here, I mean. It's really nice of you." 

Instead of responding, Brother entered a filled row with two empty seats in the center. When they sat down, Ku thought about saying something to him, but the playing sphere was already being filled with water. Cheers filled the stadium, and people stood as their favorite teams came out onto the field. 

Brother stood as the Al Bhed Psyches swam out and shouted something, though Ku couldn't hear exactly what he had said. She cautiously stood up next to him; she wasn't used to being at blitzball games, much less with someone else. She smiled nervously, not sure what to do. After a few seconds of awkwardness, she sat down with him. 

Most of the game was the same; Brother cheering for the Al Bhed Psyches and Ku feeling out of place. She suppressed the urge to run from the stadium like she usually did. At half time, the score was 5-2, the Al Bhed Psyches in the lead. 

While they were waiting for the game to start up again, Ku checked her accessory pouch. Reaching inside, she realized that something was missing. She just couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. 

"Brother!" she abruptly exclaimed. "My money's gone!" 

"Oui tet hud cbaht ed ymm uh dryd cbrana?" (You did not spend it all on that sphere?) he questioned. 

"No," Ku said. "I'm not that stupid…" She stood up and scanned the stadium. "I think someone stole it!" Her eyes landed on a brunette girl running away with something clenched in her hand. Without a second thought, Ku ran as fast as she could, which was not very fast due to the crowds, out of the stadium. 

Ku was outside of the loud stadium. The streets were empty; almost everyone was inside watching the game. There was no girl in sight either. 

"Ku, cmuf tufh!" (Ku, slow down!) Brother shouted. 

Ku ignored her now resting guardian. She walked rapidly up to a tall blue-furred Ronso standing nearby. He was wearing the orange uniform of the Ronso Fangs, though he wasn't playing in the game. "Excuse me… did you see a girl run by here? Brown hair, maroon shirt…" 

The Ronso nodded his large head. "Zev see girl run by. She have money in her hand." 

"Yeah, that's her! Which way did she go?" 

The Ronso pointed to the ports to the left. "She run there." He paused and placed a hand on a double-bladed axe to his side. "Why does Lady Summoner what to find her?" 

Ku eyed the axe wearily. "She stole my money…" 

"She is thief?!" The Ronso seemed outraged, and Ku backed away instinctively at his outburst. "Zev Ronso is guard of Luca! Zev join you to help catch thief!" He ran in the direction he had seen the girl go to before. Ku motioned to Brother to follow, and they ran to catch up to Zev. 

Zev was strangely agile for a Ronso, so he easily caught up to thief. His two companions were not so lucky, and were running a few yards behind him. Waving his axe threateningly, Zev shouted, "Zev catch thief! Zev get money back!" 

The brunette thief looked behind her quickly, most of her face covered by a beige handkerchief. She smiled behind the cloth; they would never catch her. The ports were designed in a circular pattern, and she could easily stay out of grasp. She was sure that her pursuers would eventually tire. 

"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Ku said, out of breath. "We've got to find another way to do this…" 

Brother stopped, breathing heavily. They had already run laps around the stadium, and it was more than he could take. "Oac, fa haat du drehg ib y haf bmyh." (Yes, we need to think up a new plan.) 

"Well," Ku pondered, taking a glance at her surroundings. "What can we do?" Both Summoner and guardian stood in silence as they thought. 

"Draca bundc yna ynnyhkat ynuiht dra cdyteis, nekrd?" (These ports are arranged around the stadium, right?) Brother asked. "Mega y lenlma?" (Like a circle?) 

"Yeah… and Zev's still chasing that girl…" 

"Cu drao fuimt lusa pylg ynuiht rana ajahdiymmo, nekrd?" 

Ku raised her fist to the sky triumphantly. "Yes! So if we just go around the other way, we should be able to cut her off!" 

Brother gave a slight nod to the other, then walked in the opposite direction Zev Ronso had gone. With Ku behind him, he started to run, until he saw a flailing shape that was easily recognizable. The thief, realizing that she was trapped, drew out a dagger from a sheath at her side. The others revealed their weapons as well, which caused the thief to shudder. 

"Look," Ku compromised, "If you'll just give back the money you stole, we can forget about this whole thing." 

The girl's reply was a forceful shake of her head. She brandished her dagger, letting its sharp blade catch the rays of the sun. 

Ku gripped her scythe tightly and prepared for the inevitable battle. Just as she was about to run forward, she felt a rough calloused hand grab her wrist. She spun around, only to face a warrior monk. 

The monk's face was covered by a violet cloth that hung from behind his ears. The rest of his body was clothed in a similar material, acting as a long robe. "Summoner Ku," he stated, his gravelly voice intimidating. "The Lord Okhan has ordered your arrest. You will come with me." 

Ku shook his hand off and backed away, holding her scythe before her. "Why would he want my arrest?" 

"That is not for you to ask," the monk said, taking a machina rifle out from his robes. "However, if you must know, it is because you have broken many of Yevon's laws. Not only are you keeping the company of a heathen,"-he shot a look at Brother-"but you are using the power of a forbidden Aeon." 

"Hey!" All four of the others turned to face the thief. "That's a pretty lame reason to arrest someone! I mean, just 'cause they want to be a little different? You're gonna arrest her?" 

Zev nodded. "Zev agrees. No reason for arrest." 

The man was outraged. "You all dare to defy Yevon?!" He held his rifle up. "Then you are all traitors!" 

Brother used this chance to take Ku by the wrist and pull her back away from the warrior monk. The monk turned to the Al Bhed, rifle ready, and fired. Brother groaned as the bullet hit his shoulder, and grabbed the wound. Ku ran to help him, and the thief glared at the attacking monk. 

She unhooked a small oval-shaped object from her belt, pulled a trigger on the object, and threw it to the ground in front of the monk. "Hate to do this to ya…" She smiled mischievously as the thrown object filled the area with smoke. Motioning to the others to follow, she ran off to the entrance of the blitzball stadium. 

When they were out of the monk's sight, the thief held her hand above Brother's bleeding wound and quickly mumbled something. Ku watched, amazed, as the wound seemed to close up by itself, and she made a mental note to learn how to do that. The thief proceeded to throw the stolen pouch of money on the ground in front of her three pursuers. "Here's the money. Guess I'll be leavin' now." She turned to go, but was stopped by Ku. 

"Wait!" Ku said. "I, uh… want to thank you for helping us with the warrior monk and everything." She saw the cloth covering the girl's face move slightly, probably from a grin. 

"Yeah, well, you're welcome," the girl replied. "Now Yevon's probably gonna be after me…" 

Ku pulled her sleeve nervously as a thought popped into her head. "Why don't you come with us?" 

"What?" 

"I mean… You did help us. And Yevon's after all of us now. You too, Zev." She held out a hand to him. 

Brother nodded. "You be Ku's guardians. More help on pilgrimage is better." 

Zev took Ku's outstretched hand. He attempted an unsuccessful smile. "Zev Ronso be honored to join Summoner Ku." 

All three turned to the thief. "Well?" Ku asked. 

"Geez," the other moaned. "You sure know how to put the pressure on someone, huh?" She grinned widely. "If you want me on your team that badly, I guess I gotta join, right? I'm Shuu, by the way." She unlatched one side of her mask, showing her face. 

"Shuu, Zev," Ku started, facing each guardian respectively, "It's nice to have you on the pilgrimage." She looked up to face the falling sun, darkness beginning to set onto the city. "It's getting pretty late. Why don't we all meet at the entrance of Mi'ihen Highroad tomorrow morning? Around six?" 

The two latest guardians nodded. "See ya then!" Shuu shouted, waving as she ran off through the exiting crowds of people. Zev acknowledged his new Summoner and walked away as well. 

"Alright then," Ku said to Brother. "Is there an inn here?" 

"I know Al Bhed Psyches," he answered. "They will let us stay with them. It is cheaper." 

Ku laughed quietly. "That's probably better… we don't really have much money left…" 

They started to walk towards the Al Bhed Psyches locker room, when Ku stopped in the corridor leading to the room. It had almost slipped her mind completely, and now she almost didn't want to tell him. But, she knew it had to be done. "Um… Brother?" 

He hadn't noticed her stop before, and was surprised to see her staring at the swimming fish around them. "Fryd?" (What?) 

She paused, still fighting herself about the matter. "…You should stay here." 

"Fryd?" he repeated. _Out here in the corridor?_ he thought confusedly. 

"You should stay here. In Luca, I mean." 

He still didn't understand what she was trying to say. "Fro? Fryd yna oui cyoehk?" (Why? What are you saying?) 

She looked at his face, but turned away, unable to meet his fierce gaze. "I don't want to force you to do this pilgrimage. Why don't you stay here with the Al Bhed Psyches? Being with your friends, watching blitzball all day… able to go anywhere without worrying… that sounds good, doesn't it?" She watched a group of bright yellow fish swim by. 

"Fro cruimt E mayja? Oui haat du pa bnudaldat!" (Why should I leave? You need to be protected!) He walked briskly to her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. 

She clenched her eyes shut and turned her head. "That warrior monk today… all he really wanted was me, right? But you got hurt trying to protect me. I don't want others to be hurt because of me…" 

"Dryd ec zicd suna naycuh vun sa du ramb oui!" (That is just more reason for me to help you!) 

"No!" She pushed herself away from his grasp. "I have other guardians now, Brother. Shuu and Zev, they can protect me now. I… I don't need you." She stared again at the school of fish beside her. 

"Veha..." (Fine…) he spat. "E femm mayja oui ev oui fyhd sa du dryd pytmo! Yht oui lyh veht cusafrana amca du cdyo!" (I will leave you if you want me to that badly! And you can find somewhere else to stay!) 

They both halted abruptly as the Al Bhed locker room door opened. "Fru ec drana?" (Who is there?) a voice called. Berrik stuck his head out of the doorframe, and Ku recognized him as the one who had hit her with a blitzball in Home. "Brother! E tet hud nalukhewa ouin juela! Yht drec sicd pa Ku." (Brother! I did not recognize your voice! And this must be Ku.) 

"Ku ryc taletat du cdyo yd dra ehh," (Ku has decided to stay at the inn,) Brother said coldly. 

Berrik nodded. "Dryd ec veha. Ev oui lryhka ouin seht, oui lyh ymfyoc cdyo fedr ic." (That is fine. If you change your mind, you can always stay with us.) To his friend, he said, "Lusa eh frah oui fyhd, ug?" (Come in when you want, ok?) His head disappeared back inside, and the door closed behind him. 

"E tu hud ihtancdyht oui, Ku, pid ed tuac hud syddan yhosuna." (I do not understand you, Ku, but it does not matter anymore.) He started to open the locker room door. 

"Brother…" Ku said sadly, still not facing him. "You might not understand now. But if you ever have someone die for you… then you'd understand…" 

He muttered something under his breath, rolling his eyes. He entered the door, welcomed by the cheers of the team, and slammed it closed. 

Ku turned back to the fish beside her. A single blue fish swam out from the center of the yellow group. She placed a finger on the icy-cold glass and traced the haphazard path of the misfit fish. "You would understand, wouldn't you?" She faced the closed door as laughter emitted from inside. "…Goodbye…" 

* * *

_It's over. Finally. Yay. _

I need sleep. I'm tired. I probably won't go to sleep for another hour or so though… 

Hitotsu Dake is a really nice song… It's from Card Captor Sakura! It's cute, in a sad kind of way. That has nothing to do with this. Well, it was nice to listen to while I wrote the last part. ^^ 

The next chapter will hopefully be written a little quicker than this one… ^^;; 


	17. Cacty Waits ::Present::

_Yay, an update. And it didn't take long. Even though it's extremely short… ^^;; _

I'm trying to download FFX: International on Kazaa… it's taking so long… -_-;; 

I didn't really know how Brother refers to Cid… while 'Dad' or something seemed ok, I used 'Father' because that's what he always used in the game, I think. Er… yeah. That's just been bothering me, so I'm mentioning it up here. 

There's so much cat hair around the computer. Everything nearby is covered in white fur. Nikko, one of our cats, is very friendly… so he likes to sit in front of the computer screen when I'm there. Or lay down next to it. It doesn't exactly help that he's bigger than the screen is… He's such a big cat. ^^ Or maybe, it's one of his evil kitty plots. Yeah, that must be it. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Shuu or Zev, either. Nope. They're free blitzball agents in the game. I still own Ku and Fayth-Leviathan though. 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

_Ku gave a smile to the sphere. "We're on the Mi'ihen Highroad now," she said. "Two new guardians, both from Luca." The camera was turned to show a brunette girl in maroon-colored Lucan clothing. "There's Shuu. She actually stole all my money, but she's decided to come with us. And of course, you can't forget Zev." The camera swiveled again to face a large Ronso, who blocked out the sphere's view with a hand. _

"Zev, stop!" Laughing, Ku pulled the sphere back to focus on her face again. "Let's see… Um… Can't really think of anything else to say…" 

"Hey, Ku!" Shuu ran over, the golden necklace around her neck clinking. "Whatcha doin'?" 

"This? It's a sphere I bought in Luca." 

"Ooh…" Shuu gazed at the sphere with wide eyes. "Can I see it?" 

"Well, it cost a lot of money… I mean… Hey! Shuu--" Ku was cut off as the sphere was pulled away from her. The camera was now focused on the Summoner. 

"Heh," Shuu smirked. "I feel like some kinda reporter!" The camera shook as she laughed. Taking on a serious tone of voice to mimic the newscasters she had seen in Luca, Shuu said, "So, Ku. Um… Oh, I know! You said before that Brother's still in Luca, right? How do you feel about that? We all know you miss him!" 

Ku grabbed the sides of her head with her hands in frustration. "What is it with you people? First Leviathan, now you…" She looked back at Shuu and frowned, shaking her head furiously. "Brother's more like family than anything else! Like a… erm… brother. I don't have any--" She stopped mid-sentence and started waving her hands at the other. "Shuu! Stop walk--" 

It was too late. A muffled scream was heard as the sphere's holder fell. 

"--ing…" 

******************

Rikku set the blue sphere on her lap. "You mean you left her? You went back, didn't you? Otherwise, that'd just be cruel, you know?" She peered into the other's face. "Brother?" 

Brother turned back to the machina he had been previously fixing. He took one of his many tools and jammed it into one of the machina's openings. "I had to talk to Berrik about it first." 

"Yeah?" Rikku said. "And what'd he say?" She fidgeted in anticipation. 

"Well…" Brother wondered whether he should continue. Telling his sister would only result in her wanting to know more, and that would eventually lead to him telling the whole story to her. _Would Ku want anyone else to know?_

A knock was heard at the door followed by a shout from Cid. Brother breathed a sigh of relief. "Rikku, go see what Father wants." 

Rikku sulked quietly as she headed for the door. As soon as she opened it, her father pushed by and walked into the room. "Yer cousin Yuna's waitin' for ya in the kitchen." 

"What?" Rikku asked. "What's Yunie doing here?" 

"Don't tell me you forgot!" Cid slapped his forehead. "Yuna was supposed ta visit today! We talked 'bout it last week, remember?" He looked to his son. "You forgot too?" 

Brother gave a sheepish nod of his head, to which Cid shook his own head. 

"Damn… well, she's out waitin' so you better go see her." He was halfway out the door when he stopped. "Oh, some of yer old friends are out there too, Rikku." He turned into the corridor, out of sight. 

"Well," said Rikku, bounding to the door, "Let's go see Yunie!" She too ran out into the corridor. 

Brother chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm. _Kind of like Shuu,_ he thought. He threw a wistful glance at the blue sphere sitting on Rikku's chair. Seeing the Cactuar doll leaning idly next to it, he averted his gaze and shuddered. Imagining hearing a squeak behind him, he quickly walked out the door to greet his cousin. 

* * *

_Not much Cacty in this one. I still need to think up a point to that Cactuar doll. If anyone has any ideas, please tell me… _

This chapter was short. I've kinda been in a slump lately on everything. Can't draw anything, haven't felt like writing, can't even play my flute right anymore… sigh… 

Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. I've started writing it, but I doubt that really means anything. Depends on if I'm lazy or not. 


	18. Mi'ihen Highroad ::Past::

_I tried a new approach to this chapter. Since it's mostly just Shuu, Zev, and Ku on Mi'ihen Highroad, I strung a few scenes together where they interacted and everything. Not really sure how effective it was… _

I didn't mean to make Berrik sound the way he does… I wanted him less serious, I think. Well, Blappa's the weird one anyways. Always running around in circles, constantly yelling pointless advice… (Although I did have him on my blitzball team once.) I tried to trip him once (for what reason, I don't know. Probably for the entertainment of my easily amused mind.), but it didn't work. Not even if you stand in front of him and push him. Meh. 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

_**You are sure this is a good idea?** _

Ku looked up at Leviathan. It was refreshing to see him again, following his absence in the last few days. "Yeah," she replied. "He'll be happier in Luca." 

**But what about you?**

Ku, slightly puzzled by the question, answered simply, "I'll be fine. I have Shuu and Zev to protect me now, so I don't really need him." 

**I do not mean protection. I am sure your other guardians will help you on your pilgrimage greatly. But… will you be happy without him?**

Ku, pushing herself up with one hand, stood. She glared at the Fayth in front of her. "What are you suggesting?" 

Leviathan only smiled mischievously. 

**Nothing that you have not already said yourself.**

Ku turned her head. "I'm going to ignore that…" 

Moving away from the seething girl, Leviathan sighed. Quietly, so she wouldn't hear him, he said, 

**I only hope that everything falls into place at the end…**

******************

Ku stretched lazily in the morning sun shining through the window. She was laying on a medium-sized bed in one of Luca's inns. The white and blue sheets engulfed her like the ocean's waves, and she found it hard to pull herself from the comfort of the bed into the harsh reality of life. After a few minutes, she slid herself off the bed, made an attempt to pat her morning hair down, and walked out of the room. 

Ku clutched the counter and rubbed her half-shut eyes. She had never been a morning person, but she had promised her two guardians that they would leave early. "Thanks for letting me stay here," she mumbled as she dropped 100 gil in the innkeeper's outstretched hand. The innkeeper simply nodded and went to attend the other waiting customers. 

Ku walked out into Luca's main square, scythe gripped in one hand. "Shuu and Zev said they'd wait where?" She stood dazedly as she searched her mind. "Oh, the Mi'ihen Highroad entrance. Right." After buying a small snack from a nearby booth, Ku went up the stone steps that led to the highroad. 

"Ku!" Someone in a bright-lined maroon shirt was waving at her spastically. The aforementioned one ran towards her, revealing herself as Shuu, and dragged Ku to where Zev was standing nonchalantly. He regarded her with a slight nod of his large cat-like head. 

"So," Shuu said, "Are we leaving soon?" 

The Summoner nodded. "We can leave now." 

Shuu gave her a curious look and craned her head to look behind Ku. "Where's that other guy? The Al Bhed?" 

"Him?" Ku shook her head. "He's not coming. Decided to stay in Luca." 

"Well," Shuu said energetically, "We'll do fine without him, right?" She pointed in a random direction. "Onto the Mi'ihen Highroad!" She then bounded in the opposite direction she had pointed to, up to the awaiting highroad. 

Ku sighed. She looked up-way up-to the calmer of the two guardians and said, "Guess we'd better make sure nothing happens to her…" Without another word, the two followed up the steep stairway. 

Ku and Zev reached the top of the stairs, where Shuu was waiting. Ignoring her, Ku walked to the side of the dirt road. A bright green leaf brushed her arm as she leaned down. She picked a round gray rock up and dropped it into her accessory pouch. 

Shuu raised an eyebrow. "You collect rocks?" 

Ku faced her guardian. "Not really… it's just a souvenir." 

"A souvenir? A rock from Mi'ihen Highroad?" Shuu shrugged. "Whatever." She took off down the long path ahead. 

Ku started walking as well, and Zev came up beside her. "Zev will see great mountain Gagazet on pilgrimage?" 

"Of course," she answered. "We have to pass through there to get to Zanarkand. You want to go there?" 

Zev looked to the ground. "Ronso Fangs say Zev Ronso not real Ronso until see Mount Gagazet. If Zev see great mountain, maybe Nuvy will…" His voice drifted away before he finished. 

"Nuvy?" 

Zev's visage became dreamy as he spoke. "Nuvy… she is one of Ronso Fangs. Nuvy is most beautiful of all Ronso Zev has seen. Nuvy very smart. Can talk in Spiran tongue." He sighed wistfully. 

Ku hid her smile at her guardian's plight. Strange, how one so large and intimidating could be affected by such a common dilemma. "I'm assuming you like this Nuvy a lot?" Another sigh emitted from her companion. "Have you told her how you feel?" 

"Zev has tried to tell her," he replied. "But other Ronso Fangs laugh at Zev. Say Zev is not real Ronso. Nuvy never like stupid Ronso, they say. So Zev never tell Nuvy." 

Ku crossed her arms irritably and said, "Just ignore them, Zev. I'm sure Nuvy would like you the way you are. But we will see Mount Gagazet on the pilgrimage, if that'll make you feel any better." 

Zev laid one hand on her head kindly, and she shook it off. "That makes Zev happy. You are good Summoner." He looked up at the cloudless blue sky above. "Ku feel special about anyone?" 

She shook her head. "I haven't found anyone worth the effort." 

Zev nodded his understanding. "Can be very hard. But everyone have someone in world for them." 

Ku smiled. She glanced around for a second; something seemed to be missing. "Hey… Zev? Where'd Shuu go?" 

A scream and a rustle from behind the bushes ahead was their answer. Ku slapped her forehead. 

"Better go help her…" 

******************

Brother yawned as he picked himself off of the locker room floor. He had stayed here with the other Al Bhed Psyches the night before, and had slept in one of the corners. Needless to say, it was not the most comfortable experience ever. 

"Should have stayed in an inn," he said in Al Bhed. "I knew I shouldn't have listened to Berrik…" 

Upon mentioning of his name, Berrik, the blitzball team's captain, walked into the locker room. 

"Brother!" he said, in the same language as the other. "You just got up?" 

"Yeah…" Brother sat down on one of the benches. "I'm still tired from the pilgrimage." 

Berrik laughed and opened one of the lockers. Searching through it, he asked, "About the pilgrimage, shouldn't you be meeting that girl soon? Ku, right?" 

Brother frowned and shook his head. "No. She said she didn't need me anymore, and that I should stay in Luca. Then she tries to make me feel guilty about it!" He slammed the bench with his hand. "Can you believe her?" 

Berrik successfully pulled out a pair of goggles and sat down next to his friend. "She seems like a nice person." 

"She's foolish and naïve." 

"But you still care about her, don't you?" At Brother's confused look, he continued, "You wouldn't be talking to me about it if you didn't care. Even if you only think of her as another sister or friend, you're still worried." 

Brother paused and looked thoughtfully at the floor. "Why would I care about her?" 

"Because, she seems to care about you." At the other's silence, he added, "She wouldn't have told you to stay if she wasn't concerned about something." 

Brother glared at him frigidly. "And how can you be so sure?" 

"Brother," he sighed, "You're just being ignorant. I'm not deaf, you know. I could hear your conversation yesterday. Were you even listening to what she said?" 

"Of course I was!" he shouted, unintentionally raising his voice. "She just blamed everything on me!" 

"No," Berrik explained, struggling to fit the goggles over his hair. "She wasn't blaming you… She just doesn't want you to be hurt." 

Brother opened his mouth to say more, but stopped. "She said… she said I wouldn't understand her until someone dies for me. But…" 

Berrik halted in his attempt to put the goggles on. "…You do understand. Your mother…" Resuming his previous efforts, he finally managed to put the object over his eyes. "Finally…" 

Brother leaned back and rested his weight on his arms. "Do you think that means that Ku…?" 

Berrik shrugged and stood up. Making his way to the door, he questioned, "Why don't you ask her yourself? She shouldn't be too far up the Mi'ihen Highroad yet." 

"But-" 

Berrik opened the door and stepped outside the locker room. Before leaving, he called back, "If you need an excuse to go back, tell her Cid wouldn't let you go back to Home without her. I have to get back to the team now." He pointed to a non-existent watch on his wrist. "Game in ten minutes." He waved goodbye, and walked away down the corridor. 

_Should I go back?_ Brother asked himself. _Do I even want to go back?_ He laid his head in his hands. _I don't know…_

******************

Ku turned her head to the cerulean sky. _You never get clear days like this in Zanarkand,_ she thought. _It was always so cloudy and dark there… I don't want to forget today._

She reached into the pouch at her side, searched through it, and pulled out the small blue recording sphere. She found the Record button on its side and pushed it down. 

"We're on the Mi'ihen Highroad now," she said to the sphere. "Two new guardians, both from Luca." Turning to face the first of the said guardians, she continued. "There's Shuu. She actually stole all my money, but she's decided to come with us. And of course, you can't forget Zev." Another turn of the camera followed, and the screen was soon blocked off by the Ronso's hand. 

"Zev," she laughed, "stop!" She paused again, trying to find something else of importance to record. "Let's see… Um… Can't really think of anything else to say…" 

"Hey, Ku!" Shuu, who had previously gone off on her own, was now running towards her, the golden chain at her neck bouncing uncontrollably. 

_Did she have that necklace before?_ Ku wondered about the thief. 

Shuu had now caught up to the Summoner. "What'cha doin'?" 

"This?" Ku motioned to the sphere in her hand. "It's a sphere I bought in Luca." 

"Ooh…" Shuu ogled at the object. "Can I see it?" 

"Well, it cost a lot of money… I mean… Hey! Shuu--" She reached out to reclaim the sphere as it was taken from her by the younger guardian. 

Shuu focused the sphere's camera on Ku. "Heh," she said, "I feel like some kinda reporter!" Trying to mimic the newscasters she had seen in Luca, she said as seriously as she could, "So, Ku. Um… Oh, I know! You said before that Brother's still in Luca, right? How do you feel about that? We all know you miss him!" 

Shuu stepped back instinctively as Ku grabbed the sides of her head. "What is it with you people? First Leviathan, now you…" Ku shook her head vigorously. "Brother's more like family than anything else! Like a…"-a pause- "erm… brother. I don't have any--" She stopped again and started waving her hands at Shuu, making the other just walk faster. "Shuu! Stop walk--" 

Shuu, still thinking that Ku was crazy, felt herself step onto an uneven patch of land, where a hole had been dug. She gave a high-pitched yelp as she fell. 

"--ing…" 

Shuu glared at Ku while pushing the Stop button on the sphere. "Geez, thanks, Ku…" 

Ku only grinned at the dirt-covered guardian. "I did warn you. Isn't that the second hole you've fallen in now?" 

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled as she pulled herself out of the pit. "Don't have to remind me…" 

******************

The small group of three had been walking for almost half of the day now, though it usually only took a few hours to get through the Mi'ihen Highroad. Their tardiness was not due to the attacks of fiends; in fact, they had had very few encounters with any, and the ones that did attack were weak. Ku was happy that they had less to worry about, but she regretted that she was receiving very little fighting experience. 

_Cid would say that I'm getting lazy,_ she thought to herself, laughing inwardly. 

The reason they had taken so long was their leisurely pace. The three companions took everything in, imprinting the calm landscape in their minds as well as they could. Zev and Ku had talked for the majority of the walk, and had gotten to know each other fairly well. The energetic Shuu, on the other hand, was constantly leaving the other two and getting herself into mischief. Whether it be stealing someone's necklace, falling into pits, or taking random treasures off the side of the road, she always seemed to be doing something wrong. Ku couldn't help but grin at the younger's antics; Shuu was like the best friend she had never found. It had soon become obvious on their journey, however, that Zev and Shuu were not the type to be mixed together. 

Ku watched the bright afternoon sun for a moment, then turned back to her guardians. Ku sighed as she saw them arguing for the fourth time that day, and started walking a little faster. She thought she saw a building in the distance. 

"Zev, Shuu?" Ku shouted back. She pointed to the building a few yards away from them. "What's that building?" 

"That?" Shuu asked, running up to her Summoner. "That's the Al Bhed Travel Agency. It's like a shop and an inn all in one! Why don't we stop by?" 

Ku remembered hearing about a travel agency from someone, but she couldn't think of what the conversation had been about, or with whom. She quickly shook it off and nodded. "Yeah, we might as well stop for now. I'm getting pretty tired from all the walking…" 

"If Shuu not fall in holes and steal treasures, we not walk so long," Zev muttered. 

"He-ey!" Shuu shouted at him, pouting. "Maybe if you didn't walk so slow, we would've been here a lot sooner!" 

Ku shook her head, a slight grin playing on her lips, and started walking again to the travel agency. 

_This is going to be a long journey…_

* * *

_I was going to add more to this chapter, but I figure that should be enough. And it's a decent place to stop. Plus, I'm just really lazy. Meh. _

A fairly uneventful chapter… I'll try to make the next one be a little more interesting. ^^ 


	19. Rain ::Past::

_Er… I think I need to make the chapters longer or something. Otherwise, this fic is going to have a ton of chapters… _

Been playing Xenosaga lately. That is the BEST game (although I say that about practically every game I play. So just ignore me.). Even though the cinematic events are overly long at times, it's got such a great story and characters. And the ending is cute too, even though I still have to wait for Episode 2-6. Oh well. I'll have .hack and FFX-2 to last me for a while, at least. 

Yay! It's almost my birthday. March 31. My friends decorated my locker on Friday, and supposedly, almost all of my teachers helped blow up balloons (which is extremely disturbing to me). And apparently, at least one teacher is going to take my picture. I'm going to wear a paper bag to school on Monday, I think… 

Thanks again for all the reviews! They really help boost the self-esteem. ^^ 

* * *

**Kirei na Kanjou**

Ku stood at the top of the grass-covered hill, looking back down at her two companions. 

"Shuu! Zev! Hurry up!" She turned back to her original path and started to walk to the travel agency nearby. 

"Ku!" Shuu ran up to her, Zev trailing close behind. "Don't forget, this is an Al Bhed shop! Lots of Yevonites might not think it's right for a Summoner to go in here…" 

Ku placed her hand on the doorknob and shook her head, the beads in her hair hitting the sides of her face. "That doesn't really matter, does it?" 

Shuu laughed. "Nope! So let's go in already!" She pushed ahead of the other and bounded into the Al Bhed shop. 

The interior of the agency was a soft beige color. A warm orange glow came from glass lamps, set at equal lengths on the curved walls. A long counter took up one side of the building, and behind the counter stood two Al Bhed. 

Ku approached one of the Al Bhed, a man wearing a blue bandanna. Looking to her, he said, "Welcome to Rin's Travel Agency. How can I help you?" He spoke Spiran fluently, but traces of the rough Al Bhed accent were still present. 

"Rin…" Ku said, ignoring the man's question. "So that's why this place sounded so familiar. Is Rin here?" 

"I am," a familiar voice answered. 

Ku turned around, and grinned as she saw the tanned proprietor in the frame of the doorway. He came over to them, and Ku couldn't help but notice a small limp in his step. Disregarding it, she gave him a quick bow. 

Rin chuckled quietly. "It has been a while, has it not?" 

"Yes…" 

"Hey!" Shuu tapped on Ku's shoulder with her finger and frowned. "What about us?" 

"What? Oh yeah, sure." Ku waved Shuu away for a moment and faced Rin. "Rin, these are my new guardians. This is Shuu, and this is Zev." She then regarded her guardians. "Shuu, Zev, this is Rin." 

Shuu rolled her eyes and sighed in mock-frustration. "I'm gonna look at some of the stuff they have!" She skipped off to another side of the shop. Zev crossed his arms and stood nonchalantly by one of the side tables. 

"So," Rin said, "You have become a Summoner…" 

Ku nodded. "Yeah. Cid was against it at first, but it actually wasn't that hard to convince him. He even taught me how to fight." She shuddered involuntarily at the memory of the Cactuar encounter. 

"Hmm?" Rin scratched the back of his head questioningly. "I had heard that Cid's son was accompanying a certain Summoner. That would be you, right?" 

"Um…" Ku fidgeted uncomfortably and started picking at her sleeve. "Yeah…" 

"Where is he?" 

"I told him to stay in Luca. I… didn't need him anymore." 

The Al Bhed raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "You didn't need him? Really?" 

"Of course," she said. Then, knowing that he didn't believe her, she sighed in defeat. "Well… no, not really…" 

In understanding, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to tell me about it?" 

"I don't know…" Ku muttered. "I mean, I do want to tell someone, but I don't…" She brushed a strand of hair from her face and looked up, smiling. "I guess I do." 

"Then, why don't we--" Rin was abruptly cut off by a scream coming from outside. 

A girl, around 16, ran into the agency. "Someone! Help! The chocobos are being attacked!" 

"Chocobos…?" Ku said softly, not sure what the girl was referring to. 

"The Chocobo Eater… it must be back." Rin grabbed a machina gun from the weapon display case in the shop. "I'll go stop it." 

"But, Mr. Rin!" the girl shouted. "You know that you can't beat it alone… And from your recent accident, there's no way you'll be able to win!" 

Rin gently pushed the girl aside. "I have no choice! If I do not try, there is no chance that the chocobos will live." 

Ku watched Rin limp towards the door, and was torn between decisions. Rin was too kind-hearted; fighting just didn't seem to fit him. Along with that, he was already injured. He wouldn't stand a chance. "Rin," she said firmly, getting his attention, "we'll fight it for you." 

"But Ku," Rin argued, "the Chocobo Eater is a far stronger fiend than anything you've faced before. You and your guardians may be strong, but do you really think you can defeat it?" 

Ku had already walked past Rin to the door, and her two guardians had followed her instinctively. "Trust me, Rin. We can do this." Before he could say anymore, she pushed open the door and ran out to meet the monster. 

Ku gasped at the sight that met her. The Chocobo Eater was far larger than she had imagined it to be. Rin was right; it wasn't like any other fiend she had fought. Its charred black skin was marred with thousands of swollen bruises. Two bright yellow eyes on its upper body were locked on the bird-like creature it held in one of its huge claws. 

_I knew I should have fought more monsters when I had the chance…_

Ku shrugged off her thoughts and motioned to her guardians to attack. As the three ran to the beast, it turned to face them and dropped the bird-like creature, which ran off. Ku brought her scythe out before her and gripped it tightly. She ran towards the Chocobo Eater and swung at it with her weapon, but her assumption that the fiend was slow was incorrect. It moved out of her range and countered with a swipe of its long arm, knocking her back several feet. 

Shuu took the opportunity to run up on the monster's arm and jump onto its head. She drove one of her daggers through its thick skin, causing it to screech in pain. It started to shake itself, waving its arms recklessly, and threw Shuu off and into some nearby bushes. 

Zev, meanwhile, was behind the Chocobo Eater and slashing at it with his axe. "Ku!" he shouted, still hacking away at the beast. "Summon!" The monster had now turned to the Ronso and was preparing to attack. 

Ku nodded and started to perform the summoning for her newest Aeon. She had not summoned Kilika's Ifrit yet, and this was as good a time as any. She stopped her ritual when she saw a blinding red light appear above her. The fiery Aeon burst out of the light and dropped down next to the Summoner. 

"Ifrit," she shouted, pointing her scythe to the monster. "Attack!" 

Ifrit charged the Chocobo Eater and clawed at the monster. The fiend fought back and managed to nick the Aeon's shoulder, and Ifrit jumped away. He started to form something in his hands, stretching out the matter until it became a huge swirling mass of fire and lava. He threw it up and smashed it at the enemy. 

Ifrit's blow threw the fiend back a step or two, forcing it closer to the edge of the cliff. Enraged, the monster wound its fist back and lunged at Ifrit, hitting him in the center of his chest. The once-proud Aeon fell back, turned his head to the ground in shame, and faded away. 

The damage to the Aeon started to take effect on Ku, and she felt like the air had been taken from her, making it extremely hard to breathe. She collapsed to the ground and looked around her; Shuu was still injured in the bushes, and Zev had run to help her. The Chocobo Eater was now advancing on Ku, and seeing it come near her, all ideas flew out of her head. She could only sit there. She shut her eyes tightly, waiting. 

She could hear gunfire come from behind her, and she opened her eyes. The fiend had been attacked by someone, and was now trying to block off the barrage of bullets. 

The man with the bandanna from the agency was standing behind her, machina rifle in hand. He waved his arm at Ku, a gesture for her to move out of the way, to which she complied. 

Ku watched as the man continued his bombardment. While the attack was slowing the monster down, it was more of an annoyance than anything. The bullets didn't even make a dent in its armor-like skin. She clutched the serpent-shaped pendant around her neck and started to summon her best Aeon. 

She watched helplessly as the monster sent a wave of dust at the lone man. He tried to clear the brown fog around him, when the fiend lashed out once more, throwing him to the side as well. Ku still wasn't done with the summoning, and tried to mentally quicken the process. The effort was unsuccessful. 

The Chocobo Eater grabbed her with one of its claws, and she would have screamed, had she had the energy to do so. She pushed futilely against its strong grip and accidentally dropped her scythe to the ground, far from her grasp. She finally laid limply in its hand, closing her eyes again and letting the rancid smell of its breath envelop her. She shut her eyes tighter as she felt its warm breath getting hotter and the smell getting stronger. 

_This is it,_ she thought. _This is where it's all going to end…_

Ku couldn't stop the vivid images of her death from coming into her mind. She had just about convinced herself that she was dead, when she felt herself hit the ground. Snapping back to reality, she looked around her. The Chocobo Eater was being attacked by strong gunfire that was different from the man with the bandanna's gun, and each blow was knocking it farther back. 

The fiend tried to take another step back to get away from the overwhelming pain that it was being caused. There was no more land behind it, and Ku watched, relieved, as it fell back into the crevice behind the cliff. It gave out a sharp, piercing cry as it went. 

Ku tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't support her. She felt an arm wrap around her lower body and another hand grasp her own, pulling her up slowly and painfully. She wanted to thank the one who had defeated the Chocobo Eater and was now helping her. She smiled feebly and looked up, about to say something, but stopped, eyes wide as she saw the familiar face above her. 

"B-Brother?!" 

Brother smirked, amused by her shock. "_E dumt oui dryd oui fuimt haat sa._" (I told you that you would need me.) 

Ku, slightly irked by his smirking, quickly regained her composure. She stumbled away from him, brushed the dirt off of her skirt and started walking towards the other Al Bhed who had previously been injured. "It's obvious that you came back because you missed me." As her back was turned to him, Brother missed the smile that crept onto her lips. 

"_R-rao!_" (H-hey!) he stuttered. "_E uhmo lysa pylg palyica Vydran fuimt hajan mad sa ku pylg du Home fedruid oui!_" (I only came back because Father would never let me go back to Home without you!) He ran to catch up to her. "_Cdibet..._" (Stupid…) 

Ku chose to ignore the muttering Al Bhed guardian and looked down to the man in the bandanna. She kneeled down and helped him up into a sitting position, and he opened his dark green eyes. "Are you ok?" she asked. 

"Yes…" he murmured. The man pointed to the broken rifle laying next to him and chuckled quietly. "Took the wrong rifle…" 

She smiled back and replied, "Thanks for helping us. You bought us just enough time to defeat it. Try to take it easy, ok?" She searched for Zev and Shuu quickly, and saw Zev carrying the other back to the agency. "Brother? Can you help this guy back to the travel agency?" 

"_Cina._" (Sure.) Ku stood back as Brother helped the man back to the agency. First taking a brief glance around, she followed the others into the building. 

******************

Ku took a seat by the table that was in the corner of the travel agency. The others had retired to bed early, exhausted from the battle with the Chocobo Eater, and while Ku thought that she too should be tired, she just couldn't get to sleep. Looking outside, the sun had completely set, leaving the Mi'ihen Highroad in darkness, and it had started to rain. The shop was also quiet; even the two workers were absent from their posts. She knew that the man who had helped them before was healing in one of the backrooms, but Rin's whereabouts were a mystery to her. 

Ku sighed and leaned against the chair, letting her head drop back. The whole day had been so confusing, and now it was all coming back to bother her. She cursed silently; the quietness of the area and her insomnia brought back memories of the countless nights she had spent alone in Zanarkand. 

"I never want to go back there," she whispered, tucking a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear. "I hate… being alone…" She closed her eyes, and soon, the hypnotic rhythm of the rain lulled her to sleep. 

******************

_She cowers under the covers of her large bed. Thunder and rain crash outside, surrounding her. She feels so trapped, so alone… She screams when she hears the door open, but looks up when the soothing voice of her mother is heard. She starts crying into her mother's arms. _

Another hand is felt on her back, and she knows instantly that it is her father. Soon they are both holding her, and she nestles deeper into the warmth and safety of their embrace. Her mother takes her and lays her back into the bed, and her father brings the covers high up around her face. They smile at her, and she returns the action. They walk out and close the door softly behind them, and she closes her eyes. 

The serenity is short lasting. Unrecognizable screams echo from outside her door, and the impact of something hitting the door follows. She takes up all of her courage, just like her father tells her to do, and walks slowly to the door. When the door opens, her father falls limply by her feet. She cannot understand why he and her mother are on the ground, why the carpet around them is dyed a different color. She shakes his body, but there is no reply. 

She looks to the stranger who is standing nearby, watching, waiting. She wants to act strong around people she does not know, but the shadowy figure just stands and does nothing. She can't stop the tears from falling down her face, and wants comfort. She runs to the figure and clutches onto it, sobbing into its blue robe. The stranger reaches down and throws her away, back to where her parents are sleeping. She calls out when the stranger leaves, but her cries are unheard. 

Crawling to where her parent's bodies lay, she curls up next to them and closes her eyes. Somehow, she knows that they will never wake up. Now, she knows, she is completely alone… 

******************

Ku sat up, the covers around her falling into her lap. "Leviathan…" she muttered. Shaking her head to rid herself of the nightmare, she looked around her and felt lost for a moment. She could have sworn that she had been in the main room of the travel agency before she fell asleep. 

"…Ku?" 

She turned her head as the unknown voice spoke up. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Brother groggily rise up from the floor next to the bed. "Brother! What are you doing in here?" 

He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. "_Famm, E luimt hud kad du cmaab, cu E fahd uid du dra syeh ynay. Oui fana drana, cmaabehk eh y lryen, cu E druikrd oui sekrd fyhd du cmaab eh y pat ehcdayt. Pid so nuus fyc dra uhmo uha mavd, yht E luimt hud pudran yhouha amca, cu E zicd duug oui rana yht cmabd uh dra vmuun._" (Well, I could not get to sleep, so I went out to the main area. You were there, sleeping in a chair, so I thought you might want to sleep in a bed instead. But my room was the only one left, and I could not bother anyone else, so I just took you here and slept on the floor.) 

"Oh, thanks…" Ku turned onto her stomach and leaned over the side of the bed so she was eye-level with Brother. "Um… isn't that uncomfortable?" 

He shook his head. "_Hu. Yd Home, E ryja du cmaab uh dra vmuun y mud yhofyoc._" (No. At Home, I have to sleep on the floor a lot anyways.) 

"Ok…" she said. It was strange; she actually didn't mind having him here with her. In fact, it almost made her feel better. "What time is it?" 

"_Ed ec cdemm hekrd. Ku pylg du cmaab._" (It is still night. Go back to sleep.) He stood up. "_E cruimt mayja huf._" (I should leave now.) He had reached the door now and had opened it. 

"W-wait!" Ku shouted, reaching out to him. He looked at her oddly, and she was grateful to the dark for hiding the redness that covered her cheeks. "I mean… you can stay here if you want. I don't mind." 

"_Hu, E ys hud naymmo denat yhosuna._" (No, I am not really tired anymore.) 

Ku didn't know what to say. She wanted him to stay. She wasn't even sure if she could make it through the night alone. "P-please…" she stammered. "Don't… don't go…" She laid back down and turned her head to the side. 

The sound of the door closing made her wince slightly. She closed her eyes; it wasn't as thought she had expected him to stay anyways. 

"_Veha,_" (Fine,) she heard. "_E femm cdyo ihdem oui vymm ycmaab._" (I will stay until you fall asleep.) 

Ku smiled, which was unseen by the guardian who had now settled himself onto the floor again. "Thanks." In a couple of minutes, she had drifted off into peaceful, dreamless sleep. 

* * *

_This chapter took a while too. Mostly because of Xenosaga though… ^^ _

Expect the next chapter in a couple of weeks at best. A teacher from China is coming to stay at our house for a few weeks while he teaches at the middle school, so I won't be able to act lazy anymore. He's coming tomorrow. It'll be weird to have a teacher living with us… ^_^;; 

Next Chapter: On the way to Djose! (Did I just rhyme?) 


	20. Note

Well, let's see. It's been... 4 months since I last updated. Ack. Actually, Chapter 20 is about 1/4 (maybe 2/5's?) of the way done. I doubt I'm going to finish it by the end of this month though, with the other stuff I want to do (mainly summer homework and working on an original story I've had for a while), and also lack of general inspiration. I've been looking to Dark Cloud 2 and Trigun to give me some ideas, but my head has remained empty. Then again, DC2's story was pretty bad, so that might be why. Maybe if I get Beyond Good and Evil? (New excuse for a game...) 

Just figured I'd answer some of the questions from the reviews in the meantime. Just so I can say that I kinda updated. 

**Aeryn Alexander:** Yes, Leviathan killed Ku's parents. Sorry if it wasn't that clear... ^^;; It's explained a little more in the next chapter. 

**Target:** The reason Ku only talks to Leviathan is because she has more of a direct connection to him (through the pendant thingy). Also, the fact that he's a forbidden aeon and everything, so he doesn't live (?) with the other aeons wherever they are... He just sort of stays in your head. Or conscience. (I never realized how strange it sounded until now.) 

**Blakey:** I know this is a lot like the original story, which is one of the things that's going to change soon. The main reason is because this is the Summoner's journey, and there's a distinct place that I want to be last. Besaid seemed like the most reasonable place to start, so that's why it began there. The Chocobo Eater was a bit much, but that was mainly due to my uncreativity. ^^;; I'm taking another risk at Djose that might seem sort of similar, but that'll be the end of the really obvious similarities. 

Thanks still to everyone who reviewed. Glad to know there are people reading this. ^^ 

I've actually started an idea of another FFX fic, which I might start writing to try to get out of this writing slump. That might be up sometime this month while I procrastinate. 

On a completely random note: I think my computer's dying. It makes funny noises after a while and freezes a lot. As in, every time I turn it on it freezes at least twice, and every time I shut it down it freezes. Now the speakers have died out, so I'm trying to use my headphones, but even that isn't working right... If I don't hold my head in just the right position, the sound messes up. In fact, at this moment the side of my head is parallel to the table. It hurts. 

... 

I'll stop rambling now. 


End file.
